Monday, June 18, 2018

High Street Hot Cloth Cleansers

Aldi Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser

*this post contains affiliate links

Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser is one of those products that has a sense of nostalgia for me as being the first product I really acknowledge using as part of a 'proper' skincare regime. It wasn't the cheapest but it felt affordable and simple. Many share my feelings as it's one of the products, and indeed brands that it seems everyone, whether a skincare junkie or not has at least tried once and wh it is up there as a cult beauty product.

Of course make a revered product and the imitations will follow and Aldi has earned a reputation of late as being the Make Up Revolution of, well just about anything these days, including their Liz Earle 'inspired' Hot Cloth Cleanser.

As an Aldi fan and in addition with this blog I had to pick up a tube last year to try for myself and was amazed at how alike both products are. In fact at the time I said if you blinded tested me I wouldn't be able to differentiate between the two. Today's post though is not to speak of the Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser and it's comparison to Liz Earle but part empty and welcome to Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser.

As fellow Aldi shoppers will know you can't simply walking into store a pick up their hot cloth cleanser when the need arises as it's only available at various points throughout the years as a Special Buy and then you're part of the hoards fighting to pick up on release day and consider whether to stockpile. Whilst I do enjoy the Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser I'm trying to avoid stockpiling products and when you write a blog and there are many versions on the high street to try out and use as content then it's rather unnecessary to join the bunfight.

When the time came for a new hot cloth cleanser to enter my regime I decided to try out Superdrug's Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser. This is one that's both affordable and highly spoke of by many, not least Sali Hughes and Nadine Baggott so it was a worthy contender.

It's slightly more expensive than the Lacura's £3.99 cleanser at £4.99 but it's often available at either a reduced price or currently buy one get one half price (for the stockpilers!) and the biggest draw for myself that I can simply walk into a store and purchase rather than waiting for it's next release.

I use a hot cloth cleanser for either my morning regime or as a second cleanse of an evening and it performs as I would expect. In comparison to Lacura I prefer it's consistency. It feels thicker and creamier and there's a more luxurious aspect to it's use although I do like the Lacura scent for it's familiarity.

Both products perform in the same fashion, my skin feels clean, but not dry and when I use for make up removal all traces disappear. The main differences which will aid your choice are that Lacura has a strong scent and is slightly thinner in consistency to Superdrug's thicker with a more 'clean' scent.

Now if Liz Earle could re-release the Grapefruit & Patchouli hot cloth cleanser I'll be first in the queue to purchase.

Are you a hot cloth cleanser fan?

Friday, June 15, 2018

Bronze Goddess - A High Street Dupe

Next Bronze Goddess Dupe

*this post contains affiliate links

As soon as the sun starts to show it's face I reach for Estee Lauders Bronze Goddess as my 'summer scent'.  Yes it's cliched and I tried to resist jumping on the bandwagon but when I finally gave in two years ago and tried it for myself I was sold and now it makes smile whenever I wear it and reminds me and my friends of fabulous holidays over the years.

Being a Summer scent it's lighter than what I usually reach for but that doesn't make the scent any less powerful and I find even as a smoker it doesn't get lost. Only the other day someone commented on how nice I smelt and it was Bronze Goddess I was wearing.

I've mentioned Bronze Goddess on my blog many times and my usual gripe is that despite over the years them expanding the Bronze Goddess range to feature many products with the familiar scent (currently I have my eye on the Cooling Body Gelee when I head to Dubai in September) they do not have a travel version. It baffles me. A Summer scent that doesn't come in a bottle that will slide easily into even on of those crappy plastic bags you can pick up at the airport before going through security. I even purchase my favoured Chanel Mademoiselle in it's travel version as whilst not as pretty on the dressing table for travel or simply throwing into my handbag it's the practical choice.

It was Zoe who alerted me to the Next dupe, Summer Sun, available and whilst I'm reluctant to buy things simply to blog about or indeed felt the need to purchase a fragrance dupe, especially when I've just opened a brand new bottle, my interest was peaked when I saw they had a travel version for £4 - worth a try surely?

I popped into my local branch of Next and was amazed and how alike it's 'inspiration' it was and did indeed purchase the travel version. This now sits in my handbag and allows me to top up my higher end scent should I wish - even better it's not a rollerball but a spray which I prefer.

There is a whole Summer Sun range of this Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess dupe and I'm even keen to dabble in the gift sets featuring body lotion, hand cream and most tempting the body oil and mist. Whilst I can appreciate the luxury and long lasting scent from Estee Lauder for the aforementioned products I could buy them all for less than their higher end counterparts.

Whatever your feeling on dupes sometimes a more affordable version of the accompanying items can be welcome to layer your fragrance without breaking the bank. In fact it was Next Summer Sun I showed a friend only yesterday and she's subsequently gone out and purchased Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and like me, Next Summer in it's travel size for her handbag.

Do you have a favourite scent you reach for in the Summer?

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

The Hairdryer With Your Name On It


*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

When I was offered the opportunity to test out on of LanaiBlo's hairdryer's I'd love to tell you that I read about all their fantastic features and couldn't wait to try them out for myself but I admit it was the fact that my name would appear on it that peaked my initial interest.

Once the momentary love of personalisation passed and now that I have been using the LanaiBlo hairdryer since the beginning of the year I'm now able to provide more of my thoughs for you on how the hairdryer performs beyond the aesthetics.

To look at the LanaiBlo hairdryer it doesn't appear unlike any other you'd find on a quick search of google and their first claim of being 'powerful 2400 watt' can be found in more affordable versions for a fraction of the price although I can speak to them comparatively beyond what I've seen. I can say that the hairdryer I had been using for nearly 7 years prior was a more expensive 'professional' version purchased through a hairdresser friend so it says something about spending a little more.  The benefits of a more powerful hairdryer are that you will quite simply dry your hair quicker; which if you're someone with hair extensions or a long thick head of hair can be a bonus, especially during these warmer months.

My hair dries very quickly, even with one of those ridiculous hotel hairdryers and because my styling is limited - in short tip head upside down and wave hairdryer around till dry - I don't feel a slave to the hairdryer and like I'm spending too long blasting it. That said I do find that with the LanaiBlo the time spent has been reduced even further and I can gain an extra couple of of minutes in bed before work - always a bonus.

If you are used to spending hours in front of the mirror with a hairdryer the fact that LanaiBlo is lightweight and ergonomically designed will be of interest. I can't say I've ever needed to 'minimise fatigue' due to blowdrying my hair but I imagine those with disabilities struggle with what I consider a simple task and they will look at this with intrigue. Is it really lightweight? Honestly I would say no. Is it lighter than the hairdryer I was using though? Most definitely. As mentioned I hadn't even looked at the LanaiBlo claims until recently as I was putting together my thoughts for this post and it was only after I suddenly realised how different it was. No it isn't light as a feather but it definitely feels more streamlined and not as cumbersome.

If static hairs are a problem for you, and we've all been there with pesky flyaway hairs ruining what we intended to be a smooth and shiny finish to our blow you'll find the LanaiBlo has Ionic Technology and for added assistance a Cold Shot feature which helps for those who doing a little more styling than I do. And you'll have no frizz due to the Ceramic Tourmaline. All these features certainly leave me with a more polished look than it's predecessor which for an amateur I would've just presumed it was my styling technique rather than something I could change so I can see the value in the LanaiBlo Hairdryer.

The LanaiBlo hairdryer does not come cheap at £99 but you are paying a salon standard professional hairdryer which does, in my amateur experience and simple hair needs perform better than others I've used and certainly more affordable options - and its a third compared to the Dyson which despite a desire for I don't think I could ever spend that much money on.

Returning to the aesthetics I like that its available in a choice of colours and as you can see I picked a white or there is a bright pink if you're feeling a bit more colourful. And that personalisation I was so excited about? Well that's an extra £15 and a nice touch but not entirely exciting as I hoped. It almost looks a little out of place, for the added expense I would like to see the font available in a choice of colours or sizes so it became a design feature of substance. That aside I think it would make for an ideal gift for someone living in shared accommodation or perhaps someone off to university who will be unable to fit in costly blow drys at the hairdresser and avoid the hairdryer being misplaced in halls.

A shampoo and conditioner duo I have been using regularly has been from the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes range. Both the shampoo and conditioner are to 'lightly tone, refresh and restore' - in short to knock out those brassy tones us bleach blondes are familiar with.

I've really noticed a different to my balayaged hair since using this Lee Stafford duo and fit it into my hair washing regime at least once a week. The purple toning shampoo knocks out the brassy tones and then the conditioner smooths and hydrates - a winning combination as my hair, certainly at the bleached roots leans more dry these days.

I haven't yet decided how I feel about the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Tone Correcting Conditioning Spray as its the product I've used least preferring the familar routine of shampoo and condition in the shower . That said I've been reaching for it more recently when I use a regular shampoo and find that my hair is continuing to look less brassy when I do so.

Of course if unlike me you do not wash your hair daily this might be an ideal alternative to the aforementioned duo as you simply spray into towel dried hair and continue as normal. I am continuing to use and do find in the Summer I reach more for leave in conditioners as I let hair air dry on my commute to work.

What hair products having you been reaching for recently?

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