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Aveda Smooth Infusion Shampoo
by angelraver
As most of you who read my reviews know im a haircare junkie, and quite recently i have found myself trying loads of different products as my mane is no longer my 'main attraction'. Since hitting the bleach its become coarse, dry with loads of broken ends. Im also trying to grow it to a certain length and this has just become impossible ... so i recently had to give in to a wee snip (sobs) but it is feeling better for it.
Ive been looking at loads of consumer reviews online and decided i wanted to try a sulphate-free product as iv'e heared these are the chemical nasties used in most shampoos that could possibly be a factor of hair drying out. It decided it was a toss-up between Aveda and Ojon, and on visiting Debenhams I managed to pick up small free samples of the shampoo/conditioner of both these brands rather then buying the full-sized bottles straight away as they are quite pricey if they didnt work! This review is about the Aveda 'smooth infusion' range, promising smooth, managable hair up to 60%. The products come in a simple pale-blue packaging with press-down lid. The 250ml bottle of shampoo is priced at £14.50 so its definetly not cheap but if its a quality product I would not begrudge paying that amount.
On reading the ingredients this shampoo contains botanicals and plant extracts such as aloe, maize and guar bean-all sounds very exotic and good for your hair! It also contains an ingredient called Babassu which claims to be the main cleansing ingredient.
The shampoo is an off-white opaque colour and on applying it to wet hair it seemed to foam up pretty well considering it didnt contain SLS. Ive always had the experience with organic shampoos that they dont foam very well because of the absence of SLS. It smelt really nice too, like a herby/planty smell with a hint of bergamont but i can imagine it wont be to everyone's taste but i personally liked it.
My hair is quite thick so i needed a fair blob to feel like i'd given my hair a good wash. Next I applied the conditioner which was quite thick in consistency, again, the same nice planty smell as the shampoo. I worked that through my hair and left it on for 5 minutes.
I should really be avoiding heat appliances but because my hair takes epic time to dry i just have to use a hairdryer. I did noticed my hair felt very smooth and plump, i could actually run my fingers through it without hearing the crunchy sound of my ends getting tangled. It smelt nice and it felt very clean without any kind of heavy residue.
On using this shampoo i can say i am quite satisfied with the outcome and Aveda is a strong contender for my next purchase of shampoo although i'll have to save u/rob a bank to buy it! Im going to try the Ojon hydrating shampoo next so im sure i'll be cross examining that at some point but for now im going to enjoy my healthy feeling hair!!
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Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Relief Lotion
by morticiaaddams
Shame on me for not writing any reviews this month - so here I present you with a really good recommendation! It's the face lotion "outer peace" by Aveda which I bought two months ago.
Shopper's appeal
The first time I heard about this lotion, I was reading the online blog of my favourite model Audrey ... Kitching. Kitching is a somewhat alternative model who maintains a really lively and sweet blog on Buzznet. There she keeps her readers updated on her work as model and tells them about her life. One time, she was asked for her skin care favourites and she said sh4e always trusts the "outer peace blemish relief lotion" by Aveda.
I immediately checked the product online and came across a lot of positive reviews, so I decided to give the product a try as soon as possible.
When I went to London shortly after Christmas, I had enough money to go to the Aveda Counter at Harrods. There they even had a special and I got 15% off the lotion!
My skin
My skin is a real troublemaker. Since 2006 I have to take immune suppressants daily and it totally messes up my skin. My pores are really big and get clogged all the time, especially on my nose and my chin. Sometimes I even get nasty spots and it really makes me sad. I am 23 and my skin shouldn't look like I'm in puberty!
I use a lot of poweder to cover it all up, but taht doesn't help any and maybe even makes it worse. I've tried many products, from Clearasil to Witch and nothing has really brought the results I've wanted. Witch is the best brand I've tried so far and their Witch stick really helps when you have big spots, but my widened pores seemed immune to any kind of product.
In general, my facial skin is quite dry. When I use foundation instead of powder, my skin soaks it up like there's no tomorrow.
The packaging
The 50ml tub is packaged ina little cardboard box. The tub contains 50ml.
The packaging and the tub are both white with a blue-greyish line in the middle. Within the line it says "Outer peace" and "blemisch relief lotion". You also get a little plant symbol and it says that the lotion balances the skin's moisture balance and control moisture and shine.
There are further explantations on the back of the box in English, German and French.
According to these, the lotion is supposed to provide moisture, even out red patches of skin, frees the pores and saves them from drying out or breaking out again.
Plant extracts from the tamanu tree, the amla berry, Serenoa repens and the Boswellia tree are supposed to calm your skin. That might all sound a little odd, but to be honest I didn't read it before buying because I already know I wanted this product.
Upon puraches I was also given a little leafleft which displayed various Aveda products and provided more information about the key ingredients.
Aveda are very concious about the preservation of nature and do not perform any animal testing, which is really important to me.
My experiences
The scent
The lotion smells fairly neutral. The scent is slightly woody and reminded me of liquorice, but it is really light and doesn't stay on your skin.
How to use it
Putting it on is really easy. You gently press the tub and take as much as you need for covering your skin. The lotion is easy to spread and is absorbed quickly.
Does it work?
This lotion is simply unbelievable. It works miracles for me! I noticed the changes from the first try on. The pores on my nose shrunk instantly. They don't clogg up that badly anymore. The skin looks more even and big spots are a thing of the past. I hardly get any anymore.
I was the happiest about how it worked for my pores. I can live with the occasional spot, but the blackheads left me feeling ugly all the time. I'm so glad the lotion works.
The lotion is also slightly cooling, which feels really nice.
My skin isnt so dry anymore, spots have become rare and my pores have become smaller and less prone to getting clogged. My skin will never be absolutely perfect, but the lotion has brought the past results of all the products I have tried out in the last five years.
How long does it last?
I was very worried about this pricey lotion being gone quickly, but I have used it almost daily for two months now and the little bottloe still feels quite heavy. So I think it will last you quite some time.
Skin's reaction
My skin was totally fine with the lotion. If your skin is very sensitive or you have allergies, you might want to check the list of ingredients before buying the product.
The ingredients
Water / Aqua /Eau, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Tricapryly Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Corn Starch Modified, Methyl Soyate, Coco-Glucoside, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil, Phyllantus Emblia Fruit Extract, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetti) Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Caffeine, Fragrance (Parfum), Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Sodium PCA <ILN 30707>.The lotion also contains Aveda's typical mild scent made of organic lemon tea tree, rose geranium and other pure flower and plant essences.
The price
The lotion is quite pricey, but to me it's worth every single penny.
I bought the lotion at Harrods, where you pay about 22 pounds I think. I got it for slightly less money because the had a sale on all Aveda products.
You can also order it online at Aveda.co.uk. The price on there is £20.50.
Conclusion
I am so happy I found out about this lotion. If you have problem skin like me and you've tried everything in the lower price range out, I really recommend giving this one a go! I feel a lot more comfortable in my skin since I have discovered it.
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