The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist £8.50

The Body Shop's Vitamin E range is one of my favourites as it's suitable for all skin types and the products are all very gentle on my sensitive skin. The Vitamin E Face Mist is described as being an instantly refreshing moisture boost. The Face Mist is packaged within a 100ml spray bottle which is perfect for air travel as it fits the 100ml allowance and ideal for spritzing across the face during the flight to keep your skin hydrated. The Face Mist has a subtle rosewater scent which I'm not a massive fan of, as I don't like rose scented products but the scent subsides quite quickly. 

The pump on the bottle spritzes a fine mist which I love as it doesn't leave my skin feeling drenched. The Body Shop describe their Vitamin E Face Mist as being excellent at setting makeup, which I have to disagree with.. it doesn't contain anything to 'set' the makeup, and doesn't prolong the longevity of my makeup whatsoever. It does however, give my skin a dewy appearance if I've been overzealous with my powder, and removes any cakiness. During this uncharacteristic British heatwave we've been experiencing, this The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist has been an absolute godsend at cooling my skin without disturbing my makeup. This really has become an handbag staple for the last few months, and one I'd definitely repurchase..

DRY SHAMPOO; Under £5, Under £10 and Under £20... Which Is Best?!

Today's post is the second in my three part series where I'm comparing three products of differing values against eachother to see which comes out on top. The first part of the series was comparison of three bronzers (here) and today it's time for dry shampoo's. When it comes to dry shampoo, I am incredibly fussy and generally speaking I really dislike dry shampoo and would much rather wash my hair than disguise oil and grease. However, dry shampoo can be fantastic at giving volume and texture to the hair on the days where you hair looks extremely flat and unflattering. The issue I have with dry shampoo's is mainly their scent.. I really, really hate the scent of Batiste - I know a lot of people love Batiste but personally, it really turns my stomach. So.. I have three dry shampoo's that I've been trialling for a few weeks; one is under £5, one is under £10 and one is under £20 - which one will win?!

Under £5... Garnier Ultimate Blends The Silky 7-in-1 Dry Shampoo £3.99*

Product Description & Claims: Claims to be one spray with seven actions - Instantly cleanses, absorbs grease at the roots, lightweight feel, hair feels supple to the touch, hair easy to detangle, blissful fragrance, and leaves no visible residue. The dry shampoo is said to be blended with Madagascan Vanilla extracts for their softening properties. The bottle says it's aimed at those with mid-long hair, and leaves no visible residue.

Packaging/Directions: Packaged within a peach and orange 150ml spray can. The design of the packaging is incredibly dated.. it looks as if it belongs in the 60's and doesn't look particularly appealing compared to the other two bottles. To use the dry shampoo, spray 15cm from hair, concentrating on roots.. leave for 2 minutes then brush and style as usual.

Fragrance: There are two Garnier Ultimate Blends Dry Shampoo's, and I chose this particular one as I love vanilla scented products. Unfortunately the scent is pretty vile which I know sounds very harsh but it's extremely sweet and doesn't smell remotely vanilla-like. If anything it smells like a sweet smelling deodorant, and definitely not the scent you'd associate with an hair product. Whenever I use this dry shampoo, it masks and overwhelms any perfume I'm wearing which I hate.

Availability: The Garnier Ultimate Blends Haircare range is available to purchase online and instore from Boots or Superdrug (check for current promo codes here).

Review

This dry shampoo really doesn't leave any residue or chalkiness in my dark hair which I like as a lot of dry shampoo's can end up giving me grey roots even with thorough rubbing. I also really like how with this dry shampoo, you spray it into your roots and then leave it absorb the grease.. it doesn't need to be vigorously rubbed into the hair. The fragrance of this dry shampoo is the biggest negative for me, but I also don't like that it chokes me everytime I use it. I found that it doesn't give my hair any additional volume, which could be because it doesn't need to be rubbed into the roots so if you're looking for a volumising dry shampoo, I don't think this would be suitable. 

Under £10... John Frieda Luxurious Volume Dry Shampoo £5.89*

Product Description & Claims: 'Transform your style as it starts to drop during the day or absorb oil between shampoo's'.. the claims are quite minimal compared to the Garnier Dry Shampoo, but it's described as a volumising dry shampoo. 

Packaging/Directions: Packaged within a metallic green 150ml bottle to match the John Frieda Luxurious Volume range. To use the dry shampoo the directions recommend shaking the can well before and between sprays. Hold can 10-15cm's from the head and lift the hair in sections and spray directly onto the roots in short, quick bursts and then blend in the fine powder with your fingers.

Fragrance: I really like the scent of this dry shampoo.. it smells just like the matching shampoo and conditioner, and doesn't smell anything like a dry shampoo which I really appreciate. The scent isn't too overpowering either, and you can still smell your perfume over the dry shampoo unlike the aforementioned Garnier Dry Shampoo.

Availability: The John Frieda Luxurious Volume Dry Shampoo can be bought online and instore from Boots, Superdrug (check for current promo codes here).

Review

This is the only dry shampoo from the three that I'd read reviews on prior to trying them, and the reviews I read weren't particularly positive so I wasn't expecting very much from the offset. However I have to say I am really impressed with this dry shampoo. Reviews I'd read complained about the 'white cast' it left, but if you shake the can a good 5-6 times before and in-between uses, I've found that the spray leaves no visible white cast on the hair at all. By lifting the hair into sections, the dry shampoo really is effective at creating volume that lasts at the roots. I love how silky this dry shampoo is, and how silky and clean it leaves my hair when I use it.. it's not remotely powdery and is so lightweight.... I would even go as far to say that it leaves my hair feeling clean and refreshed.

Under £20... Paul Mitchell Dry Wash Express Dry, Waterless Shampoo £18.95*

Product Description & Claims: 'Keep your hair looking fresh between washes with Paul Mitchell Dry Wash Dry Shampoo. Specially formulated to absorb excess oil, improve texture and add body at the roots, it will revive and refresh your hair without leaving any residue behind. Suitable for all hair types and colours, it will also help your style to last for days, whilst giving your locks a clean scent'.

Packaging/Directions: This is the largest bottle from the three at 252ml and has definitely has the nicest packaging; a silver to black ombred coloured can. Directions are to shake well and spray at the scalp and roots in sections, then brush through to distribute. 

Fragrance: I adore the scent of this dry shampoo.. it smells just like the rest of the Paul Mitchell haircare range, and very salon-esque. It smells amazing and is the nicest smelling dry shampoo I've ever tried - by far. 

Availability: The Paul Mitchell Dry Shampoo can be purchased from salons or online from LookFantastic or Hairtrade (check for current promo codes here).

Review

Just on scent alone this has to be my favourite dry shampoo from the three.. it leaves my hair smelling so beautiful and as if I've just been to the salon. My favourite thing about this dry shampoo apart from its amazing scent is how fine the mist is - it doesn't make me cough or sneeze like most aerosols do. When I spray onto my roots/scalp there is absolutely no visible powder or product which is ideal for my dark hair and once I've massaged my roots they're instantly volumised and my hair looks lifted similar to how it looks when I've dried my hair upside down. I watched a video tutorial on this dry shampoo where they sprayed it on the lengths of the hair rather than roots to add texture, which I love doing as my hair is so long that it often looks a bit lacklustre. I've also found that if I spray this onto my hair after using a curling wand or my BaByliss Curl Secret, it works like an hairspray and helps to hold my curls in place which I've never been able to use a dry shampoo to do.

Final Thoughts

So the big question is which Dry Shampoo came out on top? Unlike the bronzer comparison post where there was a clear winner, this one's a little bit harder to decide. The worst dry shampoo of the three (and possibly worst I've ever tried) is the Garnier Ultimate Blends Dry Shampoo, and I really wouldn't recommend it - if you're looking for a budget dry shampoo, I'd say stick with Batiste and avoid this one completely. However the other two.. the John Frieda and Paul Mitchell offerings have both impressed me, and I genuinely love them both for different reasons. The John Frieda Luxurious Volume Dry Shampoo smells lovely and gives great volume and freshness to the hair. The Paul Mitchell Express Dry Shampoo smells incredible, absorbs oil amazingly (better than the John Frieda one) and gives my hair both texture and hold.. however the price tags are very different.

The John Frieda dry shampoo is only £5.89 and the Paul Mitchell one is £18.95 so there is a pretty big difference between them. If I had to choose one to repurchase right now, I would have to go for the Paul Mitchell Dry Shampoo as it's so much more than a dry shampoo and it would be perfect for travel as it would double up as an hairspray and dry shampoo and it smells absolutely incredible and is really effective. However if you are wanting just an ordinary dry shampoo than I would recommend the John Frieda dry shampoo which is much value ml for ml.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Foundation

Finding a super pale, drugstore foundation without a strong yellow undertone is pretty much mission impossible. I've spent a ridiculous amount of money over the years buying foundations that I thought were pale enough, only to discover that they're in fact much too dark for my pale skintone. Pale skin isn't a rarity.. lots of people have pale skin, so I just don't understand why brands don't create truly pale foundations? The Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Foundation is available in an impressive eleven shades.. I can't even name a drugstore brand that has eleven shades in their range?! Not only are there eleven shades, they even have pink tone, mid tone and yellow tone options within the shades which is incredible. The palest shade is 02 Pink Tone which is without a doubt the best foundation shade match I've ever found from drugstore and high-end brands and it costs only £3. I just can't believe how good a shade match this is for my skintone. If you have very pale skin like mine then I urge you try this shade of foundation, I guarantee you'll be blown away by how pale it actually is.

The Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Foundation £3* is described as being an high coverage, easily blendable foundation. It claims to have BB Cream high coverage qualities that is suitable for all skin types and is long lasting. The consistency of this foundation is very thick and almost identical to the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation, and just like Skin Base, is best applied with your fingers as a brush leaves brush strokes. It's important to apply this foundation over a silicone based primer to help the foundation blend into the skin better, otherwise it does have the tendency to sink into pores and cling onto dry patches. The foundation claims to have an high coverage which I'd have to disagree with.. even though it's very thick, it doesn't cover blemishes or acne scarring very well so I have to use quite a bit of concealer in the areas I need extra coverage.

If you like a light-medium coverage foundation with a radiant finish then I'd really recommending trying this foundation. I would love, love, love for Makeup Revolution to create a fuller coverage foundation in this exact shade as it's such a perfectly pale shade. I'm just so impressed with Makeup Revolution as a brand.. they actually listen to their customers and produce good quality yet affordable products.

Fragrance Direct Haul

When Fragrance Direct had 10% off last week, I knew I had to take advantage and place an order. I've always been an huge Fragrance Direct fan, but they've recently revamped their website and it looks so much better and it is a lot easier to navigate. Their prices are always so amazing, and I managed to buy all of the items above for about £20 which is pretty good going, I must admit. 

I always buy my Essie polishes from Fragrance Direct as they're so much cheaper than Boots or Debenhams. I couldn't believe it when I saw that they had the shades from the Essie 2013 Encrusted Treasures collection from last year.. I knew I had to snap a few shades up. I opted for Hors D'oeuvres, On A Silver Platter and Peak Of Chic all for only £2.25 each instead of £9.99. They are all SO beautiful...

Next up I got two Rimmel Nail Polishes; one Lycra Pro Polish in My Denim and a Salon Pro Polish in Purple Rain - both were only £1.25 each. I also bought the Sally Hansen Kwik Off Moisturising Nail Polish Remover for only £1.50, and it's huge.

I got two items from W7; the W7 Aye Aye Captain Very Black Liquid Eyeliner £1.99 after seeing a rave review, the W7 Brow Twister Eyebrow Pencil £1.99. The last product I bought was the Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation in 30 Porcelain £5.99. The lightest shade of Max Factor's foundation in the UK is Light Ivory 40 and I've never seen shade 30 Porcelain before, so I'm hoping this might be a better, paler shade match than Light Ivory. I'm so impressed with how much I got for £20, especially when two of the Essie polishes alone cost £20 when bought anywhere else. 

Have you got any bargains from Fragrance Direct recently?