Vosene Kids - New Hair and Body products for scrumptious-smelling kids!

This summer Vosene Kids are adding three new products to their range of haircare and skincare for kids and Lara and Holly have had a chance to try them out.

In the Gentle to Skin range you'll soon find this exotic-smelling Caring Coconut & Mango Hair and Body Wash which comes in a 200ml bottle and reminds me of summer holidays!  With coconut oil to help sooth and cleanse sensitive skin it is suitable for use on both hair and body so makes an ideal two-in-one product to take with you on your travels.  Holly and Lara love this!

We also love the strong scents from the fruity goodness range, particularly the cirtussy scents of pink pomelo which you'll now find in both the Pink Pomelo & Vitamin C 2 in 1 Shampoo and also in the Vosene Kids Pink Pomelo & Vitamin C Hair & Body Wash.  Both products are paraben free so gentle on little people's skin.

The 2 in 1 shampoo leaves the girls hair feeling really clean. It is designed to also help reduce tangles in the hair.  The smell of this shampoo is so zingy and fresh and the girls have really come to enjoy the smell of Pink Pomelo.  With added Vitamin C, this shampoo offers a deep clean which gets rid of the build up of several days worth of school and nursery gunk!

The Pink Pomelo & Vitamin C Hair and Body wash from Vosene kids is now Lara's favourite bathtime product. We haven't tried using this directly on the hair but as a body wash it leaves the girls feeling fresh and clean and they love the smell and always seem happy and excited for bathtimes at present.

Look out for these great-smelling, deep-cleaning kids bathtime products from Vosene Kids hitting the shops very soon.

Vosene Kids Everyday Haircare

I often sit and simply watch my two beautiful blondies - their long, straight blonde hair mesmerises me, especially when we are out in the sunshine.  They've been blessed with gorgeous hair and I'm determined to help them keep it looking that way; clean and tangle-free.

Lara, very seriously digestingthe instructions on her shampoo!

Over the past few weeks we have been using the Vosene Kids Fruity Goodness range of 2-in-1 shampoos which have recently received a packaging facelift.  The girls are both great big fans of the Vosene Kids Strawberry 2-in-1 shampoo which has an intense strawberry scent which reminds me of milkshakes!  I was surprised to learn that these shampoos are paraben-free and MIT (Methylisothiazolanone)-free which would explain why the girls can use them without getting irritated skin - they do both still on occasion experience dry itchy skin from bath products.  I'm really happy with this shampoo for the girls but I'm still a little confused about what the 2 in the 2-in-1 label really means as it isn't clear from the label.  Traditionally I'd expect a 2-in-1 shampoo to offer both shampoo and conditioner so that I don't have to use two separate products but I certainly still find that both girls need to use a conditioner after this if I am to get a comb through their hair without tears.

Also in the fruity goodness range is the Vosene Kids Melon 2-in-1 Shampoo which promises soft and shiny great-smelling hair.  I much prefer the scent of this shampoo as the melon smell it is a little more sedate and fresh smelling.  It is a mild shampoo which Holly doesn't seem to mind if it accidentally washes into her face when I'm rinsing her hair.

I think both of these Vosene Kids Fruity Goodness shampoos are great everyday haircare solutions for kids - they are easy to find on supermarket shelves.

Back to School with Vosene Kids

So, the school term is back in full swing.  Beaver scouts term has started.  Swimming lessons have started.  It's all go in the life of a 6 year old.  This time last year I can clearly remember the added stress for the new school term of headlice.  Interestingly though, they came from Holly's nursery and I really wasn't prepared for my first experience of lice!  This year we are far better prepared with the Hair Heros from Vosene Kids.

The Vosene Kids advice centre has several tips for how to prevent and treat headlice.  I'll admit that, after last year's experience I have become a bit obsessed with checking the girls heads so that I can spot them early.  Number one on our list of defences this year is the Vosene Kids advanced conditioning defence spray which is packed full of tea tree essential oils.  Headlice hate tea tree oil but thankfully, I LOVE the smell of tea tree which is a strong, medicinal smell.  We use the spray after each wash instead of a traditional conditioner and it helps remove tangles as well as coating and scenting the hair.  It took me a few uses to get the right amount on (not enough = too many tangles, too much = heavy shiny hair).

Next up is the Vosene Kids Lice Repellant Conditioning Shampoo with citronella.  I know citronella more for its mozzie-repelling properties than headlice!  It is a nice light shampoo which seems to suit both girls well and leaves the hair clean.  I think I'd still want to use a conditioner or a spray afterwards as well.

Hopefully this autumn we can avoid the arrival of headlice but at least this term I am prepared.

For more advice on tackling the risk of back-to-school headlice and for your chance to winone of over 5000 Vosene Kids mini sets (perfect for use after swimming lessons!), visit the Vosene Kids Back to School hub.

Disclosure:  I was sent a bottle of each product for review.  So far...no headlice!

My Handy Hair Tips for Kids

I have no idea how I managed it, but I seem to have produced two girls with beautiful long blonde hair. As someone who herself has only ever managed a tangled mess of hair since she was about 5 years old, I'm not very confident in looking after Holly and Lara's luscious locks and, as they grow older they are increasingly asking me to produce them ever more complicated hairstyles.  Eeek!  I do have my coping mechanisms though...

...Vosene Kids asked me to share some of my own kids hair hacks for making the job of hair-management that little bit less stressful.  Both of my tips have been borne out of our weekly struggles at the swimming pool each week and the tears and chaos that would ensue after a shower.  One of my tips was only learned a few weeks ago from the woman who calmly prepares her 5 grandchildren for swimming lessons as I manically help Lara and Holly get changed.  Her one small recommendation has helped me regain some of my mellow mummy vibes!

Vosene Kids have also produced some videos starring Charlotte Hayward, a renowned movie stylist featuring her own kids hair hacks such as this dad-proof hairstyle for a special occasion.  Find more hair hacks on their Youtube channel.

John Frieda Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Three weeks ago I had my highlights done for the first time since Holly was born and my goodness it felt good. Not only did I get over 3 hours baby-free on a Saturday but I came out of my salon with a fresh blonde head of hair that made me feel ready for spring!

John Frieda sent me some of their new Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo and Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Conditioner to try out on my freshly blonded hair!

I would say that past experience has told me that it is hard to find a shampoo that keeps my colour looking fabulous and within the first few washes after getting my highlights done I notice a big difference in the brightness of colour. The John Frieda Colour Preserving products seem to have slowed that process and although it doesn't look like I'm fresh out of the salon, I am definitely impressed at how bright my highlights still seem several weeks on.

The very first time I used the shampoo I noticed instantly that it seemed to cope well with my notoriously tangly hair, especially given that hair can be very troublesome and dry after a full head of highlights. The shampoo felt good and didn't tangle my hair. The conditioner was even better. It doesn't feel heavy on my hair but it does seem to assist in the de-tangling (I'm always suspicious of a conditioner that eliminates my tangles!!!

I like the fact that the Everlasting Blonde products come in great big 250ml bottles as my hair is getting pretty long now and needs a lot of attention regularly.  You can also buy it in a smaller 50ml bottle too.

The scent of both the John Frieda shampoo and conditioner is delicate and almost imperceptible.  There are natural oils included on the ingredients list (safflower and bergamot) but I think there is a lot of man-made stuff too.

Is Dry Shampoo Really A Mum's Saviour?

Dry Shampoo such as Batiste, or the slightly trendier Girlz Only, is not a new trend, it's just that I'm a bit slow to the party! Until I started reading other mummy's blogs, I'd never even heard of the concept of dry shampoo and until just before Christmas I had never tried it. I'd read a LOT of rave reviews about dry shampoo and once even saw a blog post on a beauty blog with literally hundreds of comments in support of Batiste dry shampoo so I figured I must be missing out and have now had the chance to experience the wonder myself!

Dry shampoo is often touted (and regularly applauded) as a must-have product for new mums because it means you can spruce yourself up a bit in seconds without having to find the time for a full wash, blow dry and style. So, is dry shampoo REALLY every new mum's saviour?

Dry shampoo comes in an aerosol can. You spray it onto your dry (obviously) hair around the roots and then massage it into your head to absorb some of the greasiness and bring a bit of life back. Dry shampoo doesn't clean your hair in the sense of the word I know and understand... it disguises the normal signs of dirty hair by absorbing the head's oils through an ever-so-slightly powdery deposit on the hair. In some cases, a dry shampoo will also act a little like a hair spray and offer volume and bounce to the hair.

Both Batiste and Girlz Only come in a number of different scents to suit your mood or the event! I really enjoyed the different scents of the Girlz Only range and found the smell alone to perk up a miserable day! The Batiste fragrance I tried was a little less noticeable but I found the 'cleaning' power of Batiste to be a lot more reliable.

My ultimate challenge for dry shampoo will come in the days and weeks after birth when I can't face the bath or the the shower or baby simply won't let me escape to the bathroom. In the meantime, my current biggest challenge for the shampoo is on a Thursday afternoon when, having been swimming in a private pool with no shower facilities and no time to get home to wash my hair, I have to turn up at work in a presentable state by 2pm. I would say that Batiste just about manages to transform me from embarrassing wreck but even so, I'm still not brave enough to let my hair down at work.

I remain to be convinced that dry shampoo is going to revolutionise my life as a new mum!

The Sunday Review – Hair Conditioners by Lovea, A'Kin and Wen

Since the weather got a bit warmer about 6 weeks ago, I've been trying out a few new conditioners on my hair. I have highlighted hair which seems to behave very differently in the sunny summer months than in the winter – often in need of moisture and detangling, but very easily turning greasy if I over-condition.



Lovea Bio Tahitian Monoi Conditioner £5.49 for 150ml at mypure.co.uk

This time last year I reviewed a Lovea shampoo made with Argan oil. I really rated it as an organic product although, admittedly, I never bought more of it, so I can't have been totally won over. I've now tried out the Lovea Bio Conditioner and I feel the same way.

For an Organic, SLS-free hair product I'm really impressed at it's effectiveness. It competes well with the salon and high-street brands I use that are packed full of nasties. The tahitian monoi oil with which it is made has a heavenly, tropical scent and is a natural emolliant so it forms a protective barrier over the hair.

I've found that I have to use quite a volume of the conditioner to make my hair tangle-free but that using a large amount of it means my hair gets greasy quite quickly after use (I'm talking a day and a half). Before that point though, my hair feels really great and keeps a lot of its natural shine.

The product is french and the english translation describes it as a comb-out conditioner which worried me for a little while that I was meant to leave it on my hair and not rinse it out. My rudimentary french allowed me to read the instructions to work out that I DID need to rinse it out – the comb-out refers to the intensive treatment you can get by combing it right through to the ends of your hair before rinsing.



A'Kin Avocado and Calendula Conditioner £10.49 for 225ml at mypure.co.uk

I'm also not a stranger to A'Kin products – I love their natural ingredients and well thought out combinations of essential oils. The previous conditioner of theirs that I tried (Jojoba & Lavender) left me feeling underwhelmed with everything other than the sensational scent.

I chose the Avocado & Calendula conditioner this time for a bit of a change because my hair tends to be a lot drier in the summer and the Avocado oil is intended to combat this. The conditioner is really nice and thick and creamy, but is still easy to squeeze out of the bottle.

I've learned that with A'Kin products, a little goes a long way so I only need a tiny amount of conditioner to make my hair smooth and tangle free.

The scent is largely of calendula and geranium (both essential oils that I really like, which is handy) – it is an almost buttery floral smell. All of the ingredients are natural and come from cold-pressed organic Australian plants.

I'm enjoying using this conditioner as I find it really easy to manage my hair but, once again, it doesn't leave me feeling wowed. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a conditioner?



Wen Re-Moist Intensive Hair Treatment – Sweet Almond Mint £18.95 for 112g

At this time of year, when my highlighted hair starts to dry out for the summer, I like to use the occasional deep conditioning treatment on my hair.

The Wen Re-Moist intensive hair treatment is a thick cream, almost solid (but not quite). It is designed for use on dry, damaged, coloured or chemically-treated hair and claims to bring back your hair's natural shine and strength.

I properly love the smell of the treatment, it is minty and refreshing and very relaxing to sit there in the bath with it piled on your head! The treatment is easy to use – slather on, wait, rinse. Easy.

Unlike many other intensive conditioners that I've used, it doesn't leave my hair feeling heavy or thick the day after – just refreshed.

The downside is that it is pretty expensive unless you want to sign up to the Wen monthly package and as I have yet to try the Wen Cleansing Conditioner (for which Wen is better known) I'm not sure I'm ready to take that step. Another downside is that I rather suspect that the ingredients are not as natural, organic or skin-friendly as the other two conditioners!

The Sunday Review – Acorelle Hair Growth Inhibitor

At the start of February, the day after my last waxing appointment, I started using Acorelle Skin Glorifier and Hair Growth Inhibitor. Acorelle claim that after 56 days I'll be able to notice a significant reduction in hair density on my body. OK.

The body lotion comes in a very easy to use pump and is actually quite a pleasant body lotion to use. It has a very savoury scent which doesn't put me at ease or relax me after my shower but I put the savouriness down to the fact that one of the headline ingredients of the body lotion is black truffle extract which has proven hair growth inhibiting properties.

It wasn't clear to me from the packaging whether I should be using the Acorelle Hair Growth Inhibitor alongside my normal moisturising body lotion, or instead of it on my legs and underarms. I have tended to opt for instead of. As a skin glorifier, I'd hope this was the right decision. I feel that skin glorification is quite a bold claim for any body lotion but my impression is that Acorelle believe that once hair regrowth is reduced and the hairs which DO regrow become finer and fewer, that you feel like your skin is healthier, brighter, and generally glorified!

The results: After about a fortnight I began to doubt whether the cream was having an effect so I decided to stop for a few days. After about 48 hours I noticed thicker hairs coming through... eek! So I started using the body lotion again and now, as I approach my monthly waxing appointment, I can confidently say that the hair regrowth has been reduced, but not by as massive a level as I had hoped. Using this lotion I could probably move my regular appointment out by a week for the time being, and hope that the effect would become greater over time. This would save me a small amount of money in salon appointments. At £23.99 for a 75ml bottle, I'm not sure whether to continue using it and find out whether it could really save me money on waxing and shaving in the long term.

Acorelle hair growth inhibitor is paraben, sulfate and pthalate free and is sold by mypure, a natural cosmetics retailer who, month after month impress me with their professionalism and speed of service. Thank-you mypure.

The Sunday Review – A'Kin Conditioner

I've been experimenting with shampoos and conditioners again. My hair needs a lot of conditioning – it is coloured and it is just at that length where it knots and tangles incredibly easily despite being generally greasy. Many are the days when I feel like I should resort to a pair of scissors rather than trying to detangle my tresses.

Having enjoyed my A'Kin facial mist last month, I was more than happy to try out one of their range of conditioners. I have been using their Jojoba and Lavender Conditioner which smells totally and utterly fabulous. Using it is like having a full-on aromatherapy head massage!

Image courtesy of mypure.co.uk

A'Kin products are all made from Australian organic, plant-based products so they are free from sulphates, parabens and pthalates – one of the other advantages to A'Kin products is that they never use mineral oils in their hair care products which is fab, given that I am allergic to them (this can often limit my choice of cosmetics).

The conditioner is described as 'light'. It is a very thin consistency and you really only need an extremely tiny amount to do the job. I found it hard to get used to how little I needed and so the first few times I used it, I overdid it a little and found my hair to be sticky and heavy. My hairdresser is always telling me how little conditioner I need so I reduced the quantities and very soon found that my hair improved in texture. Now, after I have used it, my hair feels clean and manageable.

I haven't noticed any considerable improvement in the knotted-ness and tangly-ness of my hair, but it does feel and look healthier than before. Unfortunately, that amazing smell of A'Kin Jojoba and Lavender Conditioner doesn't linger (Boo).