PHYTO blowdry essentials review

PHYTO is a French brand that specialises in hair care, making products that use natural or 'botanical' ingredients. I wanted to try Phyto products for a long time, especially as it was featured as saviour brand for long/dry hair. The product that was circling the beauty biz is called Phyto 7, a hair balm which is basically a daily moisturiser for hair. 

I saw this Phyto threesome in TKmaxx for a bargain price of £7.99 - the perfect time to commit to a brand I knew very little about.

All the products are silicone free which is such a rarity in the market that targets dry/frizzy hair. They all smell reasonably nice too - not overly scented but a pleasant light flowering scent. Inside the box was phytolisse shampoo, phytolisse hair mask and phytodefrisant - a hair relaxing balm.

I found the shampoo to be a really good product for my hair type. It claims to hydrate and soften while smoothing cuticles down for ultimate shine; it also contains 30% calendula extract, which is an anti inflammatory ingredient used in skincare. After washing my hair, it did feel moisturised and easy to work with. You know when some shampoos after rinsing, immediately make your hair feel a bit tangled from lathering? this didn't do that.

After shampooing. I used the mask. Too be honest, I had really high hopes for this mask; it came out nice and thick, the way some masks tend not to be in the haircare market. I towel dried my hair before (a must! to get the best use out of hair conditioner!) and started to apply to lengths of my hair. It just didn't spread really well at all. My initial thoughts were that maybe my hair was absorbing this stuff instantly. The more I applied, the more tangled my hair seemed to be. After rinsing the mask out, despite being wet, my hair was all crispy!! The real test for me of how well a conditioner/mask works, is afterwards when I brush my hair; my tangle teezer had a hard job! Imagine what it would have been like using a standard hair brush. After blow drying, my hair was so big and frizzy - not good for something that promises smooth, silky hair and long lasting frizz 

protection.

Although I haven't tried the baume as of yet (I'm putting it off after the mask incident), I don't have high hopes for it. The baume comes out as a clear and very liquid gel not the cream consistency I was expecting. It has won an Allure hall of fame award, so maybe a little light at the end of the tunnel. I will update this post if and when I do.  

Products I bloody regret purchasing

Do you ever look through your drawers and think "this is certainly why I am poor". That thought ran through my head today ...and nearly everyday, as every tiny bit of space I have, I pack and hoard. Today, I am going to enlighten you with a small sample of the worst products (in my opinion) that are going in the bin tonight!! You see, that's how much I hate them; like I said, I'm a natural hoarder, so there are a lot of stuff I don't enjoy very much but refuse to bin BUT not these nasties!!!

Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Cream.

This stuff, I found to be so misleading. It says it easily absorbs - which it does not. Locks in moisture for 24 hours - which it does not. 

Garnier Moisture Match for normal to dry skin.

I had hiiiigh hopes... which crashed and burned. I've only used this once, so I can't really say, if it will help change the skin in any beneficial way. When I did use it, it was adsorbed into my skin quite easily and didn't make me look shiny ...or sweaty. However it broke me out! after like five minutes, I got these angry bumps on my skin. I must be allergic to something in this - which is unusual because I generally get on very well with Garnier products.

No7 Beautifully Balanced purifying toner; Essential Moisture night cream; Beautiful Skin mask.

All three terrible products. The toner has way too much alcohol in - which fyi, is terrible for oily/acne prone skin types. The night cream and the mask, which is designed for sensitive and dry skin really irritated my face, sometimes up to the point it's burning, which of course made it more dry and filo pastry like. Contrary to old wives tales, ladies, if it's burning it ain't working!

Re:nu Age Defy Shampoo.

Ok, So I'm 23, I don't really need age defy shampoo.. but what does that really mean anyway?!?! All I know is that it promised tangle free and soft hair and it didn't deliver. It's SO WEIRD! It says "lather for a luxurious foam" BUT it doesn't... It doesn't lather at all, yet it says it does... So I thought "hey it retails at £27.00 it can't be bad.. maybe it's like those new cleansing balms you've seen..." The result was a massive knot ball and I smelt like an old lady.. because the scent is actually awful! It smells like imperial leather soap :(

Catwalk Oatmeal and Honey Conditioner.

Smells delicious like biscuits or cookies. Works awful. It foams!!! What conditioner foams? At first I thought I had residue shampoo in my hair, so the next time, I made sure I rinsed thoroughly... still foamed... Also it's very liquid, sort of like the consistency of single cream. You have to use a lot of product on the hair and my hair feels little or no different if I actually didn't use a conditioner at all with this product.

This blog should really be called 

SUSIE MOANS

Empties August

Balance Me. Super toning body wash.

I received this free from the magazine Glamour. The product is 99% natural and is free from parabens, SLS etc. Despite using all the product, I didn't actually enjoy using this. It has a very natural smell from the natural oils in the ingredients but that didn't bother me. My gripe with it, was that it claimed that only a small amount is needed because it is a concentrated formula but because it's free from SLS (foaming agent), I didn't know how far the product stretched on my skin. I wouldn't buy this product.

Radox basil and grapefruit shower gel.

It really does have such an uplifting smell, more grapefruit than basil I would say. It lathers really well but I do think it's on the runny side. I have repurchased this.

Docteur Renaud raspberry soft cream. 

Received this in a Glossybox aaaages ago but a little of this product goes such a long way. I loved this product, it was thick and creamy but it soaked in my skin almost immediately after application. The raspberry smell was so unusual compared to other face products and it was so pleasant to smell this throughout the day. Definitely would purchase this item. 

Everyday St Tropez.

This is a gradual tanning product, sort of like those ones from Garnier and Dove. I would say St Tropez's version is a little different because it's more of a self tan than a everyday moisturiser. The formula is a little thick but it spreads really well. This is the only product which I felt gave a natural tan out of all the ones I tried. I can literally put this on an hour before I go out and know that my skin will be around two shades darker. It says it doesn't have a fake tan smell on the packaging but it does! and I would definitely score it as one of the worst smelling ones. At around £14.99, it is around two thirds more in price than standard ones but it is worth it, the tan lasts for a week after one application. Definitely would buy again.

Garnier Soft Essentials rose toner.

Brilliant product. It's alcohol free, cheap, makes skin noticeably softer, I really couldn't sing its praises more. I use this more as a cleanser than a toner. When I'm in a hurry I will use this to cleanse my face in the morning instead of washing it. I use this when my skin feels itchy or uncomfortable to relieve it. I use this after I cleanse my face, for more of a moisture boost than to take off my remaining make up. I love it and I've bought this product tens and tens of times.

Essential ultra honey and shea butter hair mask.

Ok, you can't buy this product in the UK. It's from Japan and can be purchased on Ebay and Sasa.com. It's a cult product in Asia. It has the thickest formula, it smells delicious and it definitely gives results for dry hair even with a small amount of product. I will of course be stocking up on this when I go on my travels.

Loreal  absolute make up remover. 

It's one of those half oil and half water formulas that are essential for removing waterproof eye make up. Despite loads of bloggers hauling this item and singing its praises, I don't think it is worth the hype, it performs just the same as my Garnier and Boots Botanic one. The pro is that it is a little less greasy however it does costs a little more. I also feel like I have to swipe my eye more with this product, instead of it instantly dissolving like with some others. I wouldn't repurchase this unless it was on offer. 

Have you tried any of these products?