Redken Diamond Oil High Shine Conditioner

I've become a little obsessed recently with wanting to improve the condition of my hair. I use my hair straightening a little too much and I think this has resulted in my hair being quite dry and weak. So I've been on the look out for a good conditioner and my hair dresser recommended I try the Redken Diamond Oil Shine Conditioner as it contains protein to help strengthen hair and keep it looking healthy.

The conditioner is designed to revitalize hair and make your hair feel softer and more luxurious after a couple of uses. It contains a sparkling oil complex, which is a blend of camellia oil to smooth, apricot oil to condition and coriander to seal the treatment. It is also enriched with protein to add strength.

When you look at the conditioner it does look very shiny! It has a jelly like consistency, which was a little odd to begin with! I'm so used to using a creamy conditioner. I found that because of the jelly consistency, you do actually end up using more.

I love the way the product smells. It has a very light, refreshing smell.

When I use conditioners, I tend to leave them on for a couple of minutes and use a comb to brush it through, to ensure the product gets distributed well.

If I'm really honest, I didn't really find this did much for my hair. It makes your hair smooth but comparing it to my regular hair conditioner, my hair is just the same. It didn't make it any more shiny.

I did enjoy using it, the sparkles make the product feel special! And it does leave your hair smooth and so it looks healthy (I'm not sure about it strengthening my hair). I wouldn't buy this product again though, as I didn't find the product amazing and it's quite expensive (£15.50 Feel Unique).

Would you recommend any good conditioners?

Thanks for reading!


Grace Louise Beauty x 

Nuxe Ultra Nurishing Lip Balm

I got this lip balm from my Feel Unique Christmas calendar and it is definitely my favourite item from it. This is a repairing, nourishing lip balm, with a rich texture aimed at restoring suppleness and comfort to dry chapped lips.

The product comes in a small frosted pot, which has a surprising weight to it. The lip balm itself is yellow in colour and has a lovely scent to it (quite citrus like). The lip balm has a slight grainy texture to it, but when applied to the lips, this disappears. The formula of this product is fantastic, it helps to remove chapped skin and nourish the lips at the same time.  

The lip balm lasts a really long time before feeling the need to reapply it. It is the best lip balm I have ever used. It makes my lips feel so smooth and nourished. And really helps to restore your lips and get rid of dry chapped lips.

It costs £9.50 from Feel Unique and I would definitely purchase this again. I think it will last quite a long time. I've not actually tried any other products from this range before, but now I am really intrigued to!

Have you tried this before? What did you think?

Thanks for reading!



Grace Louise Beauty x 

Guest Post: No More Mess Nails

My friend Jenny* came across this product a few weeks ago. I'd never heard of it before but I was intrigued by it, so I asked her to try it out and report back! It's not got an actual name but if you search for 'no more mess nails' in Amazon, you will come across it. It costs just a bit more than £2.

This product is suppose to help you create a perfect manicure, helping to protect your cuticles and fingers from nail polish stains. You apply the product around the edge of your nails and then let it dry and peel off, once you have finished painting your nails. 

The product is meant to smell nice but it smells very similar to glue. And in actual fact is it very similar to pva glue, but has a thicker consistency. It took a while for the product to dry, probably longer than actual nail polish (which isn't cool, if you're wanting to do a quick job). Also, Jenny found it to be quite messy in terms of peeling it off. Because it took so long to dry, it peeled off in bits rather than in one piece. 

I can see the idea of this product but for Jenny it isn't something she would buy again. It does work in helping to protect your nails, but it makes the process so much longer with having to apply the product, paint your nails and then remove the product. So overall not a repurchasing item, and it was decided that cotton buds and nail polish remover is a lot easier! 

Thanks for reading!

Grace Louise Beauty x 

*Special thanks to Jenny for this review! 

Nair Shower Power Cream

Hair removal is one of those tasks that I hate, but for me it is a must do on a fairly regular basis. I have used quite a few hair removal creams in the past and I have never really liked them. I find them hard to apply and very time consuming. And also very stinky! I decided to give Nair's Shower Power Cream a try because of its ingredients (Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and Cocoa Butter) and I liked the idea that it works during showering, helping to cut out the time consuming aspect.

The product contains a spatula inside to apply and remove the cream. The thick formula means that when you apply it to your legs it stays on quite well, rather than slipping off (I have found some formulas can be quite runny) and because of the 'odour control technology' used, it doesn't have that distinct hair removal cream smell. I think it's always going to be hard to apply at the back of your legs and this is the bit for me that takes so long.

The product needs to applied before entering the shower and left on for a couple of minutes. You can then get in the shower (trying to avoid getting your legs wet) and leave it on for a further three minutes. Then using the spatula remove the product. Removing the product took a little effort, but my legs felt very smooth afterwards, so worth the effort!

I will tend to buy hair removal cream for my bikini area because I find shaving makes it too sore (I have quite sensitive skin). After shaving, my hair grows back pretty much the next day, but after using this my hair grew back after a couple of days. On the box it says 'stays smooth up to 7 days' so this wasn't true for me, but I'm not surprised. A good thing is that I found my legs weren't itchy (which sometimes happens after hair removal), I think this is down to the ingredients included helping to moisturise the skin.

From all the hair removal products I have tried this one is definitely my favourite. It doesn't smell, it leaves your skin feeling very smooth and it's great for sensitive skin. I found it wasn't much quicker than others and my hair grew back after a couple of days, but the advantages of this product have made this a re-purchase item for me. I think it's a great hair removal product, that is very gentle and effective.

Thanks for reading!


Grace Louise Beauty x 

Protect and Enhance Your Tan

A couple of weeks ago, my mum and I decided to book a last minute holiday to Lanzarote. We only went for four nights because I couldn't get a full week off from work. I wanted to maximize my tan whilst I was out there and came across two products that I think really helped.

The first product I bought was Boots Soltan Protect and Tan Ultra-Light Texture Suncare Spray (£6.00 Boots). I usually go for a lotion when buying sun protection products, but I was really intrigued by the the description of this. It contains an innovative ingredient that helps to stimulate the body's natural tanning production.

The formula is really light and it isn't sticky. It has a nice light scent to it and after the initially use, is easy to apply (it takes a bit of pressure to get the spray to work in the beginning!). It absorbs into the skin really quickly and I felt happy with the product protecting my skin. The only place I burned was my eyebrows. I just didn't think to apply sun protection there! I found this product was light enough to use on my face and it didn't clog my pores.

I don't tend to tan that well on holiday. I have to be somewhere for about two weeks, to get a really good tan. But after coming back, I've had quite a few compliments saying that I've got a really nice tan. I think that is partly down to this product.

The other product I used to compliment this was Garnier's Ambre Solaire After Tan Maintainer (£5.00 Boots). I bought this to hydrate my skin after it being in the sun all day and it has an extra benefit of having a bit of self-tan product contained in the mixture. I found this product helped to deepen my tan. But found that you have to be really careful applying it because it will give you streaks and give the game away! And it also smells pretty cheesy! But it's not a sticky formula and you don't have to wait long to get dressed. I think next time I will use this with a self-tan mitt just to make it more even.

I found these two products really good in helping to make the most of my four nights in Lanzarote. I have a nice light tan, which I don't think I would have if I didn't have these. I will definitely use these again on my next holiday!

Thanks for reading!

Grace Louise Beauty x 

Big Sea Salt Shampoo

This product was actually first tested by my sister. She raved so much about it and said it made her hair feel soft and clean afterwards, that I had to give it a try!

Lush's big sea salt shampoo is made with seaweed and sea salt. The product should help to add volume to your hair and make it feel smooth and shiny. There is something really nice about using handmade products.

The 100g product comes in a little pot. It's quite expensive at £6.75 (but it is worth it, I think!). You only need to use a small amount, so you can make it last quite a few months, if you use in once in a while.

It's a strange experience rubbing this shampoo into your hair, as the texture of the shampoo is quite grainy with the sea salt. But it's not a horrible experience, it's just very different to using your normal shampoo.

It lathers up really well and washes out easily. I love the smell of the shampoo too and find it really helps to cleanse your hair. I'm not sure that it adds much volume, but it certainly makes your hair feel so soft and shiny afterwards.

I really like this product and it is well worth giving it a try if you fancy treating yourself! I will definitely keep this on the re-purchase list. It's a great hair cleanser and make your hair feel super soft.

Thanks for reading!


Grace Louise Beauty x 

Dove Advanced Hair Series

I like to treat myself to some 'nice' hair products once in while. Ones which cost a little more than £5, especially if I'm going on a trip or on a holiday. I feel it just adds to the pampering experience! I hadn't read anything about the Dove Advanced Hair Series, so I choose this product on what I felt my hair needed at the time. 

I felt my hair was quite dull and dry and needed a bit of revamping. The pure care dry oil shampoo and conditioner promising to help nourish dull and dry hair. There are three other options to choose from in the range; oxygen moisture, youthful vitality and quench absolute. 

The shampoo should cleanse hair and make it feel really silky without weighing it down. (I always worry a bit with the word 'oil' in products - that it actually means 'will make your hair super greasy within hours'). The conditioner also helps to make your hair feel silky smooth! 

I love the thick consistency of both the shampoo and conditioner. They both smell really nice too. I usually leave the conditioner on for a couple of minutes and then brush through with a comb, to help really work the product in. 

I have used this product for over a month now (I actually repurchased it because I loved the results so much). I find it leaves my hair so smooth and soft and leaves it feeling nourished too. I have found that with some shampoos that my head can feel quite itchy, but since using this I haven't had that problem. The product doesn't weigh your hair down either and leaves it feeling clean and fresh (for my hair, a couple of days). 

So overall a really positive experience with these two products and I would recommend them to anyone with dull and dry hair. I think they are a good quality and worth the price. At the moment they are on offer in Boots for £2.99 (usually £5.99). 

Thanks for reading! 

Grace Louise Beauty x