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Having not used a retinol eye cream before, I was excited to try the Neutrogena Visible Repair Retinol Eye Cream. I’ve used retinol products on my face, but not dedicated to my under-eye area. The eye cream comes packaged in a squeeze tube with a fine nozzle, making it easy to get the required amount of product out. I applied a small amount to my ring finger, and lightly dabbed the eye cream onto my skin. The first thing I noticed was the non-greasy formulation of the cream – it absorbed in easily and seemingly sunk straight into the skin. The eye cream doesn’t have a pronounced scent. Being new to a retinol eye cream, I first introduced the product into my regime by using it 2-3 times a week, slowly building up across the trial period to where I was able to use it each day. At no point throughout the trial did I experience any irritation or redness around the eye area. My skin seemed to love the product. The eye cream also wore well under makeup which was a bonus. In terms of results, after using the eye cream for a few weeks, I definitely noticed a difference in the appearance of my under-eye area. The cream helped reduce puffiness and seemed to ‘fill out’ the area, making it look more supple and youthful. It did help with darkness under my eyes and my eye area looking dull if I hadn’t slept well the night before. While using the cream, my under-eye looked brighter and more refreshed. I enjoyed trialling this eye cream and will continue using it to see further results. I’m pleased there’s an eye cream on the market that’s targeted to first-time retinol users.

It was great being able to see how the Remington ONE Straight & Curl Styler works in person at the Best in Beauty event – the results were beautiful! I love that this product is intentionally marketing itself as a 2 in 1 curling wand and straightener. We know a lot of us use our straightener to also curl the hair, however this product has been mindful in its design to have this work as best as possible. As a straightener, there are a number of things I liked about this product. It has long straightening plates, which means I can cover more of my hair and straighten it a lot faster which is great. The plates are ceramic coated, which helps the straightener to glide through my hair without tugging on it and it’s also anti-static which is great as someone who struggles with frizz and flyways. The straightener can heat up to 230 degrees Celsius which is great – I normally have it on 220 degrees which works for my coarse hair type. The straightener heats up in no time at all, ready to use in 20 seconds. The plates also lock when it’s not being used and it comes with a storage bag which is great for travelling. It also has an automatic safety shut off after 60 minutes (great for peace of mind!). As a straightener, this tool definitely performs. It was easy to use, left my hair sleek, smooth and straight, flyways are kept at bay and the results were long lasting. Now as a curling iron which I was most excited to try, this also does a fantastic job! There’s a few smart design features that helps make this a great curler. There’s a cool tip so that when you’re curling, you can place you fingers on the tip for control. If you still find it’s taking some time to get used to holding on to the tip when curling the hair, the product also comes with a styling glove to help you out. The barrel size is 32mm, and depending on how tight you wrap the hair around the barrel, I found I was able to get tight curls or loose waves. The barrel also has ceramic coating which helps the curl not slip, and when being used a curling wand, the barrel locks in place for ease of use. Using this tool left me with defined, sleek and long-lasting curls. I was very impressed. I love the fact that I can bring one styling tool with me and can achieve both sleek, straight hair and bouncy, voluminous curls. A great, well-designed and considered product.

The Plantur 39 Conditioner is marketed for ‘hair over forty’ and for ‘coloured and stressed hair’. While I’m under 40, I do have colour-treated hair which does impact on the health of my hair, so I was keen to give this conditioner (in conjunction with the Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo) a go. The conditioner massages nicely into my hair and disperses easily. Very easy to use – the conditioner only needs to be left in the hair for 30 seconds to work its magic before being rinsed out. It rinses out easily without leaving any residue or ‘weight’ to the hair. This conditioner really surprised me – it left my hair feeling so soft and smooth, and my hair looked so shiny! It helped control my hair frizz and didn’t leave my hair feeling tangled or knotted. I like that the conditioner is formulated with avocado to make the hair easier to style and smooth. Given the trial period, I can’t comment on the conditioner (and shampoo) having an impact on hair growth, however my hair does feel like it’s healthy, nourished and soft, and that’s good enough for me!

What a treat getting to take a Remington ONE Dry & Styler Hairdryer home to try from the Best in Beauty event! I’ve recently been using a pretty basic hair dryer, and while it gets the job done, it doesn’t have the fastest drying time or do much by way of helping smooth out my hair or reduce frizz – so I was excited to give this hairdryer a go. The first thing I noticed (and loved!) about this hairdryer is that it comes with 4 different attachments: there’s a slim styling concentrator which is what I got the most use out of when drying my hair straight, a flyaway tamer, a gentle drying diffuser and a curl defining diffuser. It’s great that with one product, you can use it in different ways to get different looks/styles. As someone with naturally curly hair, I really enjoyed defining my curls using the diffuser attachment too – this hairdryer offers something for everyone. The hairdryer is very lightweight, compact and travel friendly, and as a bonus it comes with a storage bag too. Because it is so lightweight, it’s easy and comfortable to use. The hairdryer looks very sleek with it’s grey and chrome detailing colouring. This hairdryer is set up to perform – it generates air speeds of up to 120 km/h which claims to speed up drying by 25%. I did notice that when compared to my regular hairdryer, this Remington dryer did cut down the time it takes for me to style my hair which is great – faster and less hair damage. The hairdryer is noisy given the motor and performance power, however this doesn’t bother me at all. The hairdryer also has 8 heat and speed combinations so you really are in control with how you like to style your hair and what works best for your hair texture and length. Importantly for me, the hairdryer has a cool shot to help me finish and set my hair – it’s a part of my hair routine that I’m used to and works for me. When using this hairdryer as part of my regular routine, I noticed my hair was left smooth, sleek and soft. My drying time was cut down, and I loved the flexibility of the heat and speed combinations and the different attachments I could use. The slim styling concentrator left me with bouncy, straight hair and the flyaway tamer really helped with my frizz and to tame baby hairs that I have around my hairline. This is a hairdryer that performs and is versatile – I’d highly recommend giving it a try.

You can’t go wrong with the Dermal Therapy Original Lip Balm – it’s a holy grail, tried and tested. 10g of product in a squeeze tube, perfect to reapply when on the go. The formulation is so hydrating and moisturising – my lips can be dry, sunburnt, wind-chapped – whatever it is, this lip balm can restore my lips in no time at all and have them be smooth and healthy within 24 hours. On the lips, the balm has my lips feeling instantly more supple, leaving behind a nice shine. The balm also wears nicely over lipstick for some added hydration which is great. You can’t go wrong with this product – you’ll want one in every handbag, in every room, and in your car! Highly recommend.

The Dermal Therapy Sensitive Skin Lotion comes packaged in a 250mL container with a pump-top applicator. The packaging is very no-fuss which is great – it’s convenient and hygienic. Dermal Therapy is such a trusted and well recognised brand – I’ve used a number of their products over the years and have never been disappointed – and this lotion was no exception! The lotion is so hydrating. Coming out of the colder months, my skin has been dry, particularly areas like my elbows, knees, ankles etc. While using this lotion daily, my skin is feeling healthy, moisturised, soft and supple. It’s helped alleviate any dry patches I was battling, and it’s perfect to use after shaving to soothe the skin because it’s so great on sensitive skin. The formulation is free from nasties which is wonderful. Overall, a deeply nourishing body lotion that you can rely on to get the job done and leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and protected. Highly recommend.

The Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo is marketed for ‘hair over forty’ and for ‘fine, brittle hair’. While I’m under 40, I do have fine hair, and as I regularly colour it, my hair struggles with damage and being brittle, so I was pleased to hear at the Best in Beauty event that this shampoo and conditioner was safe to use on colour-treated hair. When worked into the scalp, the shampoo lathers up nicely and spreads easily throughout the hair. The shampoo simply smells like shampoo – no strong fragrance to note. To use, the product recommends that you leave the shampoo on the scalp for 2 minutes before rinsing. I like the idea of the scalp getting a really thorough cleanse to help detoxify the hair from any build up. The shampoo rinses out with ease. When used in conjunction with the Plantur 39 conditioner, my hair was left feeling clean, hydrated and nourished. Given the trial period, I can’t comment on the shampoo and conditioner having an impact on hair growth, however my hair does feel like it’s healthy, nourished and soft, and that’s good enough for me!

The Plantur 39 Conditioner is marketed for ‘hair over forty’ and for ‘coloured and stressed hair’. While I’m under 40, I do have colour-treated hair which does impact on the health of my hair, so I was keen to give this conditioner (in conjunction with the Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo) a go. The conditioner massages nicely into my hair and disperses easily. Very easy to use – the conditioner only needs to be left in the hair for 30 seconds to work its magic before being rinsed out. It rinses out easily without leaving any residue or ‘weight’ to the hair. This conditioner really surprised me – it left my hair feeling so soft and smooth, and my hair looked so shiny! It helped control my hair frizz and didn’t leave my hair feeling tangled or knotted. I like that the conditioner is formulated with avocado to make the hair easier to style and smooth. Given the trial period, I can’t comment on the conditioner (and shampoo) having an impact on hair growth, however my hair does feel like it’s healthy, nourished and soft, and that’s good enough for me!

It was interesting hearing and learning about the Dr. Wolff’s V-san Intimate Wash Lotion at the Best in Beauty event. I feel like there’s a lot of opinions out there on whether intimate washes are a necessary product and if they should be used on the intimate area. I’ve not used a product like this previously, however I went into the trial with an open mind. The product has a flip-top cap and is easy to use, dispersing the desired amount of product. It lathers up nicely, similar to a regular body wash and rinses easily off the skin. The formulation is very gentle given it can be used on the intimate area – it contains lactic acid and chamomile extract and has a similar, skin friendly pH value so it doesn’t disrupt the area. The wash didn’t irritate my skin at all while using this product. It left my feeling clean and refreshed. I could see myself using it more so in the summer months when it’s hot and sticky; it’s nice that there’s a product out there that’s safe to use on the intimate area and can help you feel clean and comfortable after a long day.

Ah, Burt’s Bees – always reliable with their lip balms and such a great range, there’s something for everyone! I’ve always been a fan of the Burt’s Bees Honey lip balm, so I had a pretty good feeling I was also going to like this one. It’s a very no-fuss lip balm; rich in hydrating butters and nourishing oils that work to hydrate and condition the lips. This lip balm is unflavoured and is formulated without any nasties. It applies nicely to the lips and feels so silky and smooth when wearing (it’s hard not to keep rubbing your lips together just to feel how supple they are!). While using this lip balm over the last couple of weeks, my lips have been in great condition. They’re healthy, nourished and any dryness has been alleviated. I also find this lip balm works well at protecting the lips, providing a barrier to the wind/air conditioning etc. Another lip balm that you’ll want in every bag, never far from your reach!