Orly 'Cupcake' Nail Polish Swatches

Orly 'Cupcake' comes from the 'Rich Cremes' line of nail colour. Rich cremes dry to a smooth and creamy finish with a high shine formula.

Orly polishes are packaged in sturdy glass bottles, they have an easy-grip cap with a thin brush that coats the nail in three or four sweeps.

As I've said before, Orly formulas are a bit hit and miss, some are streaky and some aren't. Cupcake applies quite streaky on the first coat, but by the second coat you can get a lovely and smooth finish. The formula is quite thick so it drags a little against the nail, and tends to bubble a little too if you choose to use three coats.

The colour is a lovely dusty pink, almost like a milkshake shade with gentle grey undertones. It dries to a creamy finish which has a nice shine to it. I get about three days wear from this shade before tip wear becomes heavily apparent.

Orly Cupcake (*) is available from ORLY online for around £9.25/18ml.

Scholl Party Feet Ultra Slim Gel Cushions

Around this time of year I become obsessed with foot care, it dawns on me that in a matter of weeks I'll be getting my feet out in front of the nation and donning flip flops and sandals. I'm a culprit of serious foot neglect during the winter months and I pay the price of poorly-kept, bad condition feet.

To protect my feet from further damage, I use Scholl Part Feet in my high heeled shoes and boots. These have been saving my feet and prolonging the wear time in killer heels for years, today is the day I share my shoe secret!

As an avid wearer of extremely high heels - we're talking 10-12cm high here - I tend to experience severe pain in the balls of my feet a few hours into wear. We've all been there girls, holding our heels at the end of a night out! This experience is no more for me having discovered Party Feet, gel cushions which are stuck inside your shoes where the ball of your foot lies.

The inserts have a sticky and a smooth side, you place the sticky side inside your shoe, they're virtually un-noticeable and with correct placement your feet hide them anyway. They work inside all sorts of shoes and for all shoe sizes; once they're in the shoe they last ages, my last pair lasted me two and a half years before I needed to repurchase these.
The inserts work by taking and dispersing the pressure your foot puts on the heel. Wearing them in my heels prolongs the comfortable wear time by about four hours more than without them, wearing my heels feels so comfortable and I experience barely any burning or stinging sensation in my feet at all. They also protect my feet from feeling really dry as usually my feet tend to rub against the surface of the heel whilst I dance.
It's safe to say I never wear a pair of heels without a pair of these babies slipped into them, what's even better is you can peel them off one pair and stick them into another!


Scholl Party Feet Ultra Slim Gel Cushions retail for £4.59 from most Scholl stockists, I picked mine up in Boots.

Orly 'Basket Case' Nail Polish Swatches

Orly have been around for quite some time, but only recently hit our high street stores at Boots and became a nail polish sensation. With such a variety of shades available in miniature and full sized bottles there's a colour to please all tastes! 

Orly polishes are packaged in sturdy glass bottles, they have an easy-grip cap with a thin brush that coats the nail in three or four sweeps.

'Basket Case' (*) is described as a 'bright pink' - it's certainly a bright, candy pink! It isn't a true pink however, I feel it has a blue/purple undertone to it. Needless to say, this is the ultimate candy, Barbie pink nail colour which wears beautifully on fingernails and toenails, it's ideal for summer.

I find that Orly formulas are hit and miss, some apply smooth and streak free, whilst others apply very streaky indeed! Basket Case has a lovely smooth formula which is a breeze to apply, in just one coat it gives sheer colour, two coats gives a lovely finish and dries hard to the nail in about two minutes. My only complaint here is the finish could be a little glossier, but that's nothing a top coat can't sort.

Orly Basket Case is available from ORLY online and lookfantastic.com for around £9.25/18ml.

Montagne Jeunesse 'Skin Heroes' Range Review

Introducing Montagne Jeunesse's latest additions to their already strong range of face masks - Skin Heroes (*). The Skin Heroes range targets specific skincare problems, to compliment your skincare regime as a weekly treat. The products remain BUAV approved, suitable for vegetarians and guarantee to contain natural ingredients where possible.

What's new to the range for Montagne Jeunesse is the double-act formula, with each sachet you get a mask and a moisturiser to lock in the natural goodness. There are four masks and one treatment available for specific skincare complaints in the range: T-Zone, Shine Control, Dry Skin, Break outs, and Clogged Pore strips.

The packaging of the range is classic to the Montagne Jeunesse style, the sachets are easy to use and travel and have interesting fun designs. My only complaint is the design with the double formula is a little annoying to open, the tear is through the middle of the mask meaning the mask does tend to get all over your hands before you apply the product, so do be careful when opening!

I have combination skin, meaning some days my skin can be dry, some days it can be normal and sometimes it can be oily. Keep in mind all skin types are different and react to masks differently, it may be best to pick a mask to try which best suits your skin type and complaint. If you have sensitive skin run a patch test on a small area of skin with the mask before use to ensure it doesn't inflame the skin.

DE-CLOG PORES
The De-Clog nose pore strips aim to draw impurities from around the nose to reveal cleaner, less visible pores. The sachet is generously filled with three sachets containing the pore strips, wrapped individually for freshness until you choose to use them.

The strips are applied to a wet nose, which dry after five to ten minutes of contact before you peel it off gently. They're scented gently with orange oil, which doesn't smell too artificial at all, its a lovely citrus scent.
Once removed you can see the difference on the strip! These strips may be particularly useful for those with a problem of shine and blackheads specifically on the nose, as they draw out impurities in just a couple of minutes. My nose looked clearer immediately after use, using one strip twice a week has helped maintain less clogged pores.

T-ZONE PEEL OFF MASK
Our T-Zone is the forehead and the nose, which in many people can tend to get particularly oily or dry. The T-Zone peel off mask targets dead skin around this area and the rest of the face by drying to the skin before you peel it off; whilst also drawing oil from the skin.

The Mask has a gel-like formula which smooths across the skin well and dries in about fifteen minutes, I found not all the mask dried on my skin after twenty minutes which is a shame, but it dried after about half an hour. It's gently scented with witch hazel and tea tree, which isn't overpowering (I find some tea tree scented products hurt my eyes because they're so strong, luckily this mask didn't take that effect).

After peeling the mask away you can see the dry skin and oil pulled from your face on the film, I was glad to see it had made some difference! My skin felt smooth after use and was left oil free without feeling stripped completely. The moisturiser had a smooth and fluid texture, I got two uses out of the moisturiser which left a soft feeling on my skin without increasing oiliness.

SHINE CONTROL MASK

Shiny skin is an issue we all encounter at some time with our skin, the Argan Oil and Acai berries in this mask aim to nourish and balance the skin. The scent is quite subtle and barely noticeable, it gets more potent as you wear the mask and has a gentle undertone of citrus fruits.

The mask applies wet and dries a little, not to a tight or unpleasant feeling. You can wash it off easily to reveal smoother less shiny skin. I did notice about 5 or 6 hours after using the product that a gentle shine had returned to my skin, so perhaps this mask is better used before a special event to temporarily banish shiny skin. Obviously you can fix this by applying fixing powder to problem areas!

The moisturiser contains light reflecting particles to add luminosity to the skin, its very subtle and not shimmery or shiny, it adds a glow whilst moisturising the skin simultaneously. Again I got two uses out of the moisturiser and it sunk into the skin immediately.

DRY SKIN MASK
Dry skin is a problem I suffer with regularly, particularly on my cheeks and forehead; some might say this mask is my saviour! It was certainly my favourite of the range, with its super fruity scent which lingers on the skin.

The mask has a very runny texture, once applied to the skin it begins to firm within two to three minutes, it dries after about twenty minutes and can then be removed with warm water. It doesn't dry to an uncomfortably tight feeling but it does tighten on the skin.

Although the mask didn't remove all the flakey areas on my face, it smoothed rough skin (along with the help of the moisturiser applied afterwards) and removed some flakiness. It left my skin feeling really smooth and soft, and it remained that way throughout the day.

BREAKOUT MASK
In my view, this mask is ideal to compliment a skincare regime aiming to control and reduce breakouts. Tea tree is a renowned ingredient in blemish-fighting products but I find it tends to be too potent, with this mask it isn't potent at all and remains comfortable to wear on the skin.

This mask is a mud mask, it has the thickest consistency of the four masks and dries to the tightest feeling, which is necessary for drawing impurities from pores. It takes about fifteen minutes for the mask to dry fully, which you then wash away with warm water before applying the moisturiser.

After using the mask my skin felt refreshed, there was less oiliness and I can say my pores (especially on my cheeks) looked slightly reduced. I wouldn't say the mask alone prevents breakouts, but its a good compliment to a breakout preventing regime.
I found the moisturisers in each sachet had a very similar consistency, with a different scent. The moisturiser here sunk into the skin nicely with a cooling sensation, it soothed the skin and left it smooth and soft.

The Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range retails for £1.49 per sachet, available from ASDA and Montagne Jeunesse online.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

After hunting for the latest release to the accessories line of French cosmetics company Bourjois, I finally found some shelves stocked with it. This magic pot of nail polish remover has been causing quite a positive stir in the beauty community, so naturally I wanted to see what the fuss was all about!
The Bourjois Nail Polish Remover is a 'one second' formula, enriched with sweet almond oil with an acetone free and paraben free formula.

The Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover is packaged in a pot with a screw-top lid, it's the perfect size for your handbag and the lid screws on tightly so you needn't worry for any spills. I really like the packaging, its fun and girly but straight to the point.

Inside the pot you will find a sponge like structure with a hole in the centre, which is where you put your finger. The sponge is easy to fit your finger too and is saturated with the nail polish remover formula, but not so saturated that it leaves your fingers feeling wet. One thing I immediately noticed when I unscrewed the lid is the strong overpowering scent of nail polish remover, so do be aware of that!
Another thing to be cautious of is that over time the sponge tends to wear away a little, I sometimes find small black particles remaining on my fingers which need to be scrubbed off.

PUT TO THE TEST: REGULAR NAIL POLISH

The formula really impressed me with removing standard nail polish, after one second all colour was removed from my nail (as pictured). After removing my finger from the sponge my nail felt conditioned and smooth, it even had a shine to it! It was also delicately scented of fruity vanilla, a lovely change to the strong scent of other nail polish removers.

PUT TO THE TEST: GLITTER NAIL POLISH

When put to the test against glitter polish the formula didn't perform quite as well, but still impressed my by removing the polish in just 30 seconds without any scrubbing at all. Slight traces of glitter were left after 30 seconds which were easy to remover with another few seconds dipped in the formula.
Again, my fingernail felt nourished and soft, scented delicately with fruity vanilla.
I have one separate pot for glitter polish as I do find the glitter polishes drag the sponge interior and cause it to come apart. The glitter also clings to the sponge and when you re-use the pot it tends to deposit old glitter onto your nail. Although this may be a problem if you're using the same pot for glitter polishes and regular polishes, I found having two separate pots eradicated this problem.

I'm really pleased with the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover, although the concept isn't new to our shelves it sets itself apart with its ultra nourishing formula and delicious scent. This product has saved so much time and gives me the opportunity to change my nails almost every day if I so wish, it's made removing nail polish much less of a chore.


Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover retails for £4.99 exclusive to Boots stores and Boots online.

Orly 'Lollipop' Nail Polish Swatches

Orly 'Lollipop' comes from the 'Sweet Collection', launched in April 2010 but still available in selected stockists. The collection is a mix of cool pastel shades, ideal for Spring!

Lollipop is packaged in a glass bottle with a slimline brush and easy grip handle, I could only get my hands on a 5ml bottle which I found really hard to work with because the brush is so small!
I was unable to find an official shade description for Lollipop, it's a shade which applies far brighter than it appears in the bottle. Personally I would describe it as a bright and sheer lilac which adds a lovely pop of colour to the nails, in darker lighting it appears more dusty lilac than bright.

Unfortunately the formula really disappointed me, it's very thick which makes it quite hard to work with, I wouldn't say it gives a streaky finish but it isn't particularly smooth and not glossy at all. Top coat is definitely necessary for a smooth and shiny finish. The only thing which impresses me about the formula is that it dries quickly, however, I only get a days wear out of this polish until it chips, at three days it has flaked and chipped significantly - what a let down!

Orly 'Lollipop' is available from selected Boots stores and online for £5/5ml bottle.

Liz Earle Foot Scrub & Foot Repair Moisturiser

Now that winter is well and truly over, and the April showers are upon us (oh the joy) I'm beginning to pay more attention to my feet so they're 'summer ready'. In the winter I whole heartedly admit that I neglect my feet, I snuggle them into thick socks and Ugg boots and forget all about them...oh the price I pay! As a result, my feet are dry, rough and generally not very pleasant or ladylike at all.

Enter Liz Earle Foot Scrub (*) and Foot Repair Moisuriser (*) - my new best friends seeing me on my journey to summer ready feet. 

The scrub and moisturiser are packaged in easy to squeeze duck-egg blue tubes, which come foil sealed for extra freshness. The scrub is really thick and packed with exfoliating granules, so I found it is a little harder to squeeze than the moisturiser, but that would be expected!

LIZ EARLE FOOT SCRUB

CLAIMS: 'This hard-working scrub gently exfoliates hard, rough skin on heels and soles, leaving feet ultra-soft and buffed to perfection' - Liz Earle online

The foot scrub has a lovely thick consistency, the pumice works on hard skin whilst smaller granules give gentle exfoliation. It's scented delicately with peppermint, it reminds me of peppermint oil and isn't synthetic or overpowering at all; it has an almost spicy twist to it which is different to other peppermint scented products I've used before!
I've used this three times a week every week and the results have been beyond noticeable, my feet are a lot less flaky and rough, they feel ultra smoothed, a feeling which lasts. What I like about the scrub is it isn't overly harsh and doesn't leave my feet feeling over scrubbed or red.

The Liz Earle Foot Scrub retails for £11.00 per 100ml tube from Liz Earle online, stores, and selected John Lewis; also available in a miniature 15ml tube for £5.


LIZ EARLE FOOT REPAIR MOISTURISER

CLAIMS: 'This deliciously scented cream sinks in fast to deeply moisturise dry skin and leave you feeling like you're walking on air' - Liz Earle online

I enjoy applying the moisturiser straight after using the Liz Earle Foot Scrub and patting my feet dry, I find this is the best time to apply it as it sinks into the skin almost immediately. The formula has a thick but easy to handle consistency, you only need to work the smallest amount into the skin (probably only half of what's pictured for both feet).
Again, the scent is of peppermint and has a very gentle spicy undertone, it isn't synthetic or overpowering and lingers on the skin nicely.
Using this after scrubbing my feet helps lock in moisture and leave my feet feeling silky smooth, it's helped to smooth rough areas on my feet which are gradually getting smoother with every use.

The Liz Earle Foot Repair Moisuriser retails for £13.50 per 100ml tube from Liz Earle online, stores, and selected John Lewis; also available in a miniature 15ml tube for £5.

Happy Birthday, Blog!

Today my blog - Holly Arabella UK Beauty Blog - turned one year old! My first post was April 22nd 2011 and I havn't been able to stop posting since!

It's been a great year for my blog, having been shortlisted for the Cosmo Blog Awards, receiving the Blog of the Week badge from Immediate PR, becoming a Top 22 Beauty Expert Under 22 and writing for Fashion Capital.

So here's to another great year on my blog! Thank you to all the readers, companies and brands who have supported my blog over the past year ♥

ORLY 'Kiss The Bride' Nail Polish Swatches

Orly retail over 150 shades of polish, with the choice of miniature bottles or full sized bottles. Orly 'Kiss The Bride' comes part of the permanent line of 'rich cremes', a line of polishes with a glossy finish and creamy colour.

Orly 'Kiss The Bride' (*) comes packaged in classic ORLY packaging - a sturdy glass bottle with an easy-grip lid. The brush is a skinny brush, which makes the first application slightly streaky, but it builds colour well in just a few swipes.

'Kiss The Bride' is a creamy, milky pink, it verges on white with baby pink undertones. The shade feels ideal for a bride or as a base for glitter polishes or a manicure. The shade isn't too stark to be worn alone, I enjoy wearing this alone on my nails and giving a 'pop' of colour on one accent finger. Once again this shade is absolutely ideal for Spring.

'Kiss The Bride' is a shade which surprised me, I thought it would take a good few coats to build colour, but the shade is opaque in just two coats! The finish is thick and glossy, it's pictured here with no top coat at all. 

Orly Kiss The Bride is available from ORLY online and lookfantastic.com for around £9.25/18ml.

I Love...Best of British 2 in 1 Bubble Bath & Shower Creme

To celebrate 2012 as 'The Best of British', with the Olympics, Queen's Jubilee and Wimbledon all in one year, I Love... cosmetics have repackaged one of their most popular 2 in 1 Bubble Bath and Shower Creme scents.

The Strawberries and Milkshake Bubble Bath and Shower creme (*) has a gorgeous Union Jack design; with strawberries as one of Britain's greatest summer traditions it seemed only natural to give this the Best of British repackage!

As always the bottle is a super generous size, it squeezes and dispenses formula easily; there's so much product that a bottle of I Love... usually lasts me a good two or three months! The pearlescent pink formula transforms in front of your eyes to masses of bubbles whether you're using it in the shower of the bath, giving endless satisfaction (I love lots of bubbles). The gentle scent of strawberries lingers a little on the skin, without being too overpowering or synthetic.


I Love...Best of British 2 in 1 retails for £2.05 for a whopping 500ml from all I Love... stockists such as Superdrug.

Introducing Label.M Lab Remedy: Tried & Tested

This April saw the launch of Label.M's first in-salon trio of bespoke intensive treatments - 'Lab Remedy'. The range offers high quality, targeted conditioning and hair repair treatments available only in salons, applied during your visit.

There are three treatments available in the range:

Lab Remedy for Coloured Hair: most ideal for colour-treated hair, this treatment is applied straight after colouring or as a colour maintenance to help lock in colour and repair the hair.

Lab Remedy for Dry/Damaged Hair: most ideal for those having had a highlighting service or damaged hair, this treatment helps to repair dried ends and restore moisture.

Lab Remedy for Dry and Itchy Scalps: most ideal for those with scalp complaints, helps to soothe and relieve inflammation.

You and your stylist can discuss which treatment is best for your needs.

The range has a Tri-Keravitaplex Complex, which is a vegan blend of rice, peas and potatoes as well as Vitamin E, which penetrates the hair deeply to target areas in need of repair and rebuild. The Dry/Damaged treatment also contains silk proteins to smooth the hair, which means this treatment can only be classified as vegetarian. The Tri-Keravitaplex complex is beneficial to each treatment thanks to its high concentration, it can repair protein deficiencies whilst nourishing and protecting the hair.

I was invited to the Slone Square Toni&Guy salon to trial one of the Lab Remedy treatments as targeted to my hair complaints, I originally thought the Dry/Damaged treatment would be best for my hair but on closer inspection I was told my scalp was slightly irritated! Much to my surprise, I could immediately see it wasn't in the best condition, so agreed to have the Lab Remedy treatment for Dry/Itchy Scalps.
After having my hair washed thoroughly with Label.M Honey and Oat Shampoo and Conditioner, the treatment was spritzed across the hair. I was amazed how quick and comfortable the treatment was, it's applied whilst the hair is wet and its completely fuss free, with no waiting time (hurrah)!
To complete my visit at the salon, I was bowled over to have a blow dry from London Hairdresser of the Year Richard Mannah and a lovely chat about the treatment with Eamonn Boreham, the International Artistic Director for Label.M. I asked for something with lots of volume and glamour, and that is most certainly what I got!

The results of the treatment were immediately visible, I couldn't believe the transformation. You can see that my hair was unbelievably glossy, it was also manageable and smoothed. My scalp was a lot less red and there wasn't any flakiness in sight.
One week on and my hair remains in fantastic condition, my scalp hasn't flaked once and my hair has kept bounce and shine despite having washed it since the treatment.

The Lab Remedy treatments are perfect if you have a particular complaint, or if you want to treat your hair to some nourishment during your visit at the salon. If I had a big event or night out this would certainly be a treatment I would consider having again to give my hair an instant boost.

Label.M Lab Remedy treatments retail for £11.50 at Essensuals, Toni & Guy and appointed concept salons. Prices may vary.

Models Own 'Bare Beauty' Nail Polish Swatches

By now we are well aware that I'm throwing myself straight into the spring spirit with my nails, I can't get enough of pastel shades! The Models Own Spring 2012 collection is following the tale-old trend of pastel colours with some gorgeous, fresh shades.

'Bare Beauty' is the only shade I picked up from the collection, but I can see myself quickly snapping up the remaining shades.

Models Own 'Bare Beauty' comes packaged in classic Models Own packaging, the only variant on the Models Own glass bottle comes with the Models Own Pro collection. The glass bottles are sturdy and store easily.

The one nightmare I have with Models Own polishes almost every time I purchase one is the nib, I unscrew the white plastic lid and the brush fails to come with it, it remains sitting inside the polish (as pictured)! After much fussing about and screwing/unscrewing the lid back and forth I finally get the brush to come away with the lid, but it's terribly annoying. The brush itself is a good size, it fans nicely across the nail and gives good, even coverage in three swipes.

If you're a fan of nude polishes this shade should be ideal, it's a peach toned nude which gives a fresh take on nude nails for Spring. What I like is how this isn't a totally peach shade, it's more 'peachy' and works really ware if you want a bare nail look.
My swatches are with two coats, one coat certainly doesn't give enough coverage but gives a good base to build the colour on.

Models Own Nail Polishes are available from all Models Own stockists, such as ASOS, Boots and the Models Own website, for £5 each. The Spring Collection, including 'Bare Beauty' is an exclusive online only collection, available from ASOS and Models Own.

Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Scrub Review

Vitamins and Extracts is the newest addition to the Clearasil family of skincare products. The range targets those in need of a gentle but effective daily skincare routine, packing products full of gentle but effectively cleansing ingredients known for their nourishing and antioxidant properties.

The range consists of a scrub, a 2 in 1 wash and mask, wipes and the new PerfectaWash system with a choice of two refills - Soothing Plant or Superfruits. I'm all for natural products and super fruits, so this range is right up my street! 

'Formulated with avocado, pomegranate and Vitamin E to help keep skin looking healthy and nourished'

Schwarzkopf BC Colour Freeze Range

The Schwarzkopf Bonacure Colour Freeze Range (*) is Schwarzkopf Proffesional's newest core collection. Developed especially for colour-treated hair, the range of eight products contains everything your hair needs to remain nourished, colour-intense and have great shine. Schwarzkopf have even introduced an in-salon treatment to compliment the range, applied straight after colouring to rebalance the PH of the hair and seal the surface - locking colour pigments immediately.

I've tested four products from the range: Sulfate-free Shampoo, Colour Freeze Conditioner, Colour Freeze Treatment and Colour Freeze Coloured Ends Treatment. Other products available in the range are two further variations of shampoo: Silver Shampoo and Colour Shine Shampoo, as well as a Thermo Protect Cream and Spray Conditioner. 

What I love about the range as a whole is how much choice there is - you can purchase the whole collection to have everything you need to maintain the condition of your coloured hair, or select particular products to tackle specific needs.

My hair isn't coloured, so the range was also tested for two and a half weeks on a friends coloured hair for a thorough and tested opinion.

SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER

Sulphate-free shampoos have become a big deal in the hair industry recently, sulphates are damaging to the hair but contained in many high street shampoos! Sulphate-free products don't tend to give a great lather, but I found this shampoo lathers adequately. The formula isn't overly thick and distributes through the hair well, it didn't tangle the hair at all and left it feeling super soft.
The conditioner comes as a great accompaniment to any of the three shampoos in the range (Sulphate-free, Silver Shampoo and Shine Shampoo), it has a thin texture which makes it easy to distribute the hair. I found I didn't 'feel' it in my hair while it was applied, personally I like to feel something working in my hair while I use it, but it definitely smooths and detangles the hair.
Both products smell very similar, the scent reminds me a little of raspberries. It isn't overpowering or synthetic, but it does linger on the hair.

PRICE: Shampoo £9.75/250ml, Conditioner £10.95/200ml

COLOURED ENDS PROTECTOR

The coloured ends protector is one of my favourite products on the range, I don't have coloured hair but I loved using this. The balmy formula is lightweight, so you can smooth it between your fingers then ruffle it through your hair without weighing it down. Apply this with attention to the ends. On coloured hair it helps to seal the colour right to the tip, whilst also caring for split ends. What's great is you only have to use a tiny amount, so I can see this lasting ages! I use this after using the shampoo and conditioner every hair wash, it's a great complimentary product and really adds to the softness of hair.

PRICE: £12.35/75ml

COLOUR FREEZE TREATMENT

The hair treatment I used on the hair 1-2 times a week in place of conditioner, it's a more intensive treatment left on for a good 10 minutes or even more! The formula is very smooth, not thick at all, so you can distribute it through your hair quickly and easily. This had the same raspberry-ish scent as the rest of the range, though I found it to be a tiny bit more potent it was really enjoyable whilst the treatment was on. This treatment left the hair feeling really nourished and in great condition.

PRICE: £12.35/200ml tub

Having used all these products together over a two and a half week period, the colour of the hair was noticeably intense, the ends improved in condition and the hair had a gorgeous 'glossiness' to it. The colour faded a little but not as much as it usually would following the colour treatment.
This range may be ideal for you if you have very coloured hair with bright pigments, in this instance the range was tested on hair which had been dyed bright pink from a natural blonde. Usually the pink colour faded after three washes, but during the two and a half week period the pink colour remained intense. We are both very impressed with the results!

The Schwarzkopf BC Colour Freeze range is available from all salon stockists of Schwarzkopf, as well as Feel Unique and Hair Supermarket.

My Signature Spring Scent: Vera Wang 'Princess'

Vera Wang, probably most famous for her designer wedding gowns, has a six-strong range of perfumes under her belt. I'm a total sucker for Vera Wang fragrances, my first discovery was Lovestruck (see it here), and since I've been desperate to try another of her perfumes.

Vera Wang 'Princess' came as a surprise purchase, I hadn't particularly set out to discover it (I guess we can just say it was meant to be!). I discovered 'Princess' when a friend gave me a miniature bottle of the fragrance - this bottle is quite hard to work with (albeit ideal for my handbag) as it's a tip cap and quite small. So there was only one thing for it, I simply had to buy the bigger bottle.

The packaging of Vera Wang 'Princess' is in my eyes, simply divine. It encapsulates all that Princess is about as a fragrance, taking me back to my childhood days where princes and princesses lived happily ever after in a glorious land of wonderment.
Back to reality. Princess is packaged in a cardboard box, inside you will find a sturdy glass bottle with a gorgeous crown lid. The bottle has a flat base so it stands easily without falling over. The crown pulls off to reveal a little golden ring; it isn't too my tastes but is certainly a lovely touch.

'Princess' is described as a 'sheer, fruity floral fragrance' which 'sparkles with the captivating, sweet, tart aroma of delicate lady apples and the coveted tahitian tiare flower and finishes with a tasty vanilla chiffon'. I can't really argue with the description as the scent is exactly that - it's very comforting and easy to wear. This scent is so ideal for Spring because it's delicate but noticeable, it isn't overpowering with floral or fruity notes but reaches a beautiful equilibrium between the two. 'Princess' is more of a daytime scent, I personally wouldn't wear it in the evening as I prefer something more potent and deep for evenings.

Vera Wang 'Princess' retails between £34 - £60 depending on the size you purchase, here featured is the 50ml bottle which retails for £45. Available from all Vera Wang perfume stockists, I bought mine in Debenhams.