Hair Heaven: Lee Stafford Argan Oil

Lee Stafford Argan Oil - £11.99

As I have said in previous posts, I'm not blessed with naturally beautiful flowing locks, my hair is curly, it has gone through years of bleaching and colouring and a shed load of heat abuse! Because of all this I find I need to really work at keeping my hair in good condition, using conditioning masks and the new holy grail - hair oils!

Lee Stafford Argan Oil is one of many hair oils on the market, many of you will have heard of Moroccan Oil but it is very expensive, the Lee Stafford oil is a bargain in comparison. It is a silicone based oil but it also contains a high percentage of natural Argan Oil, so it is both a styling oil and a nourishing one. Many people believe that silicones are bad for your hair, and indeed they are in some cases, particularly conditioners, are they coat the hair root to tip, however in hair oils, a bit of silicone can really help to maintain the hair condition, as it is only on the ends, it is not preventing moisture accessing the hair shaft. If you use a clarifying shampoo once a week it prevents the silicone building up and causing lack lustre locks!

I like to apply a small amount of this to the ends of damp hair before blow drying, it speeds up the drying process and leaves my hair smooth and manageable. This can also be used in small amounts on dry hair to give an extra smoothing effect. The pump gives the perfect size amount for my hair, but bare in mind I do have dry hair, if your hair is in better condition a smaller amount will be needed. This also smells amazing, typical of Lee Stafford products of which I am a big fan!

Review: Clarins Cleansing Milk and Toning Lotion

Clarins is one of the leading skin care brands but I think it is often forgotten amongst the buzz for the likes of Liz Earle, Ren (of which I am a massive fan!) or other HG products. A few years ago I enjoyed used the cleansing milk and toner for normal to oily skin, however my skin changed and I moved on to other products. On a recent holiday, I was in a pharmacy that had amazing deals on lots of beauty products, including salon sized Clarins products. I was running out of my Cleanse and Polish and decided I would give the normal to dry range a go, the offer was incredible, 400ml for 19 Euros, unfortunately it is a little pricier in the UK, 200ml for £17.50 (double the price) but still cheaper than a lot of high end skin care.

The Cleansing Milk  with alpine herbs is a beautiful lotion which is best applied directly to dry skin. I usually massage it into the skin and then follow the Clarins suction technique, which involves placing the hands flat on the face and pulling away quickly to create a suction effect, this is meant to pull the grime and toxins out of your skin, I then use a warm muslin cloth to buff the lotion off my face. I find it is very effective at giving a glowing, soft finish to my skin and is perfect for my normal to dry skin. The original is also very good but more for combination skin.

The Toning Lotion with camomile is also for normal to dry skin. The pump action of this bottle is not ideal as I end up wasting a lot on a cotton pad, so I have decanted this into a small spray bottle and I spritz my face after I have removed the cleanser. I am not entirely sure if I believe toner works, but this has a beautiful, natural smell and I am sure it has a small moisturising effect so I am happy to keep using it!

All in all, I would highly recommend these products to anyone who wants some luxury skin care, perfectly suited to normal/dry skin. They keep my skin clear and glowing and I can tell they will last for ages, even with my morning cleanse and double evening cleanse routine!

Have you tried these products? Or have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!