• Beauty
  • Fashion
  • D.I.Y
  • Feminism
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Scotland
  • Blogging
  • Halloween
  • Get in touch!
  • Media and PR

Beauty and the Best of the Rest

~ A lot of beauty and a little bit of everything else

Beauty and the Best of the Rest

Tag Archives: gift ideas

Trying OSMO

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by masquerade21 in Bargain, Beauty, Christmas, gift ideas, gifts, Hair, review, Reviews, Shopping, under £15

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bargain, Blinding Shine Conditioner, Blinding Shine Illuminating Finisher, blinding shine shampoo, gift ideas, Hair, hair products, hair styling, how to get really shiny hair, Inspiration, OSMO, OSMO Shine Gift set, product review, review, shine, suitable for extentions, Wonder 10

I was recently sent one of OSMO’s 2014 gift packs and I would like to thank Laura at AJPR for sending this to me to review.

I was able to chose which range I would like to try a product from and I chose to receive something from the shine range as currently I have a few hair products which claim to enhance or add shine that I have been using, so I knew I would be able to measure up how OSMO compares performance-wise.

Laura sent me the OSMO Shine gift pack:

20141103_163638

When I opened my parcel to reveal this decent sized, heavy and glitzy box it did feel a bit like a present. I thought yeah, alright, hair care products maybe aren’t on the top of every  wish-list, they’re not on top of mine, but I would be happy to receive this as a gift – I wouldn’t unwrap it and be disappointed, I’d be quite satisfied and curious to try the products out.

The contents of the Shine gift set are shown on the box as:

Blinding Shine Shampoo 350ml

Blinding Shine Conditioner 350ml

Blinding Shine Illuminating Finisher 125ml

So I was surprised when I opened the box to find the 3 above mentioned products plus a 4th product:

20141103_163910

I felt what can only be described as ‘well chuffed’ at finding this bonus product, I love surprises! Now it has only this instant occurred to me that maybe this bonus surprise product isn’t in every box and it may in fact be a perk of being a blogger sent the box to review but, as the surprise was actually in the box, I think it is a genuine surprise product and I give that a big thumbs up. ( The reason I subscribe to glossy box is because it’s basically a grown up lucky bag – surprises are always going to score high with me) EDIT: I have checked, my surprise was indeed a genuine surprise and not a blogger perk, which makes me wonder what surprises the other OSMO gift packs have.

The surprise product is called Wonder 10 and you spray it evenly over damp hair, leave-in and style as normal to :

  1. Repair dry and damaged hair
  2. Nourish and protect for radiant shine
  3. Provide thermal protection from styling tools
  4. Deliver soft, silky & more manageable results
  5. Colour Protect
  6. Create body and movement
  7. Detangle (incredibly apparently)
  8. Prevent static
  9. Condition (both natural and synthetic hair – so the bonus is a double bonus if you wear extensions)
  10. Smooth split ends and control frizz

Now, Wonder 10 is the one product I haven’t used yet as this week has been more about dry shampoo and less about soft, silky manageable hair-  because I have been rushed off my feet – but I’m trying it out after washing my hair tonight and will update this post tomorrow. Due to how well my other OSMO products have performed I have high hopes for this little wonder bottle. I can tell you right now that it smells amazing – I have no idea what it actually smells of but whatever it is, I would genuinely wear as perfume.

(EDIT: I have now tried Wonder 10 and I agree that it conditions, controls frizz and static, and detangles very well. My hair does also feel silky. Body and movement is a hard thing for me to measure as I have thick hair so it’s always full of ‘body’. Likewise colour protect, nourishment, thermal protection, repairing dryness and damage I can’t really comment on – my hair is my natural colour so no protection is needed (what is colour protection anyway? preventing fade?) The easiest thing for me to say is that my hair feels and looks good, so as far as I’m concerned Wonder 10 is delivering results.)

I did find time somehow to try the shampoo and conditioner, maybe because I put them straight on my bathroom shelf when I got them – I was happy because they are not run-of-the-mill and look quite decorative in my bathroom:

20141113_205047

I have a stupidly tiny amount of storage space in my bathroom so I always have products on the window sill and littered around the bath so I really really like it when something actually looks good on display. It makes my bathroom feel tidier so the OSMO bottles get top marks for how they look, that shelf wasn’t so great to look at when Head and Shoulders was up there.

I also think they look like expensive salon products so you might be surprised when I tell you that the price for my whole shine gift-set is around £14 (most places have it for £14ish but I did manage to find it online at fragrancedirect.co.uk and loopyhair.com for under a tenner.) I only did a quick search so if you find any good deals let me know because I am now an OSMO fan.

Part of the reason I’m a fan is because their products do what they say on their bottles and these products made my hair shine. The shampoo did all of the stuff that I would expect and gave my hair a noticable shine (I did take pictures as I was planning to compare results with my Vo5 Nourish My Shine shampoo but trying to show a difference in shine was asking a bit much of my camera.)

The shampoo made my hair nice and shiny. Curiously, it smells like an aftershave or cologne which is unusual for a women’s shampoo, but quite cool. My hair smells quite nice when I use it, it just doesn’t smell of something generic like strawberries.

The conditioner didn’t really have much of a scent to speak of which is no issue for me – not really any need for both of the products to smell. It conditions well and leaves my hair very soft.

My hero product is the Blinding Shine Illuminating Finisher. I actually used this without having used the Blinding Shine Shampoo or Conditioner as I wanted to see how well it worked on its own. It works amazingly. Anyone who uses GHD straighteners will understand this next part, you know when you have nice freshly washed hair and then you use your GHDs and instantly your hair is all shiny-shiny? The illuminating finisher is just that in a bottle – spray and be dazzled – instant shine. If you use too much you are in danger of going from shiny to greasy – I know because I  enjoyed  spraying my magic shine bottle a little too much until my hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in a week but if you have enough restraint not to get carried away then you will love the Blinding Shine Illuminating Finisher. I didn’t notice a scent until I sprayed some on my hand just now to tell you guys – if you sniff it it smells medicated but I don’t actually smell anything when I am just spraying it on my hair. It’s also not sticky or heavy in the slightest so it’s a pretty perfect product. The Wonder 10 is also not sticky – I just tried it on my hand.

Well that’s all I have to say about OSMO for tonight – if you pop back tomorrow night I’ll update this post let you know how I got on with Wonder10.

Lastly- Would I buy this gift set? Yes, without hesitation. 

Thanks for checking out my blog 🙂

Tell Your Friends

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

15 Free Must-Have Apps for Women

26 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by masquerade21 in Technology

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

15, Apps, books, bSafe, ConvertPad, deals offers, dictionary app, Dropbox, Fertility, fifteen, file-sharing, finance, first aid, Free, gift ideas, gifts, Google Maps, kindle, Maps, menstruation, mobile, music apps, must have, need, newspapers, Ovulation, periods, personal safety, shazam, shopping, Technology, The Piano Guys, there's an app for that, TopCashback, Transport, unit converter, vouchers, wikipedia, wishlist, women, WomenLog

So you know the story, you want some apps for your phone or tablet but can’t think of one that you want. Well I have 15 suggestions for you.

MH900440629

1. WomanLog Calendar

You’re a woman, you bleed every month. It’s handy to know exactly when mother nature plans to bestow this little inconvenient gift on you. WomanLog tells you. It’s really simple, you just download the app (it’s free!) and then when you get your period you input your start period date on it’s calendar and when your period ends you enter the end date. WomanLog will tell you when you should expect you’re period next month. Now all women are different but the good thing is the more you use WomanLog the better it gets. It gets used to the rythms of your body and is will soon be 100% accurate (it is for me)  in telling you when your period will start, how many days it will last and when it will end. It also has an ovulation and fertility forecast.

2. bSafe

This is an app to give you and the people who love you a little extra peace of mind. bSafe lets you :

• Set up your own social personal safety network of friends, family and coworkers
• Share locations to find each other more easily (optional)
• Ask friends to walk you home with Follow Me’s live GPS trace, or help friends stay safer by walking them home from wherever you are
• Use Timer Mode to program an automatic alarm that will trigger if you have not checked in in time
• Use I’m Here to tell selected people where you are right now
• Use Fake Call to make the phone ring when you want it to. You can even define who the call should be from
• And in case you are ever in trouble, the Guardian Alert button will immediately notify your friends and family members that you need help, and let them know where you are (GPS) and what’s happening (video). It will even set off a siren (optional)

3. Wikipedia

So you can nod along as if you know and then surreptitiously check you’re phone, the font of all knowledge.

4. Free English Dictionary

So you can check what ‘surreptitiously’ means and/or how it is spelled.

5. Bank balance app

If the bank you are with has an app, get it. There is nothing handier than quickly being able to check your bank balance. This is especially useful when you are in a shop and that dress that you probably shouldn’t buy is throwing itself at you.

6. Newspaper app

Pick a newspaper  that you trust and get it’s app. Then next time you are bored and about to check facebook on your phone, force yourself to read at least one news story first and keep up to date with what’s going on in the world before finding out what’s going on with Stacey from highschool who was in one class with you. She’s not going to let her heart rule her head anymore, aren’t you glad you know that?

7. First Aid by British Red Cross

Like I need to give a reason why this is a useful app to have.

8. Shazam

If you like music you probably already have this. Shazam is my favourite app, if you hear a song or tune that you like and want to know what it is you just open Shazam, tap your screen and it will listen to and identify the song. I use this all the time when I’m watching TV. Adverts and TV shows are always playing cool music that I want to add to my playlist. My most recent Shazam find is from a Thompson Holidays advert. Now I have the tune below on my youtube playlist and I have discovered The Piano Guys.

 

9. Maps

With Google Maps on your phone you will never be lost again and you will actually be able to find your way to that job interview. What is it with job interviews and getting lost anyway? Or is that just me?

10. TopCashback

If you shop then you should have this app. Here’s why :

 TopCashback Features:

  • – Search their list of retailers and view the cashback offers, discount codes and great deals you can get.
  • – Get online discounts with our codes
  • – Get access to in-store vouchers that can be used in highstreet stores and restaurants
  • – View the in-store vouchers on a map of your area (UK only)
  • – Take advantage of our Snap & Save offers and earn cashback on your in-store purchases such as groceries – a cashback site first!
  • – View all the latest online exclusive cashback offers
  • – View your full account earnings and recent transactions
  • – Access your Favourite Merchants list
  • – Update your main account details
  • -Send your Tell-a-Friend links so you can earn cashback when your friends join TopCashbac

11. Transport Apps

There are loads of free transport apps so if you quickly need to find out when the last train home is or you need a taxi number  there is an app for that, so download it. I have the National Rail Enquiries app because I get a lot of trains. Think about the transport you use and then go find a relevant app and never be stranded again.

12. ConvertPad Unit Converter

Want to know what £50.00 is in American dollars? Or what shoe size you have in Europe? Or how many inches are in a foot? This is the app for you. It is unbelievably useful.

13. Kindle

Books on your phone that you can read instead of making awkward eye contact on the subway plus lots of the books are free? Why don’t you have this yet?

14. Dropbox

Put simply, Dropbox lets you access everything everywhere. Never again will you say ‘you have to see this pic, oh wait it’s on my computer, I don’t have it on my phone.’

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your Android device, and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go.
15. Wishlist
You know when your birthday is coming up and people are asking what presents you want and you can’t think of anything? Well with wishlist you can archive all the cool things that you see throughout the year so that when your birthday does roll around you can just share your wishlist.
Wishlist lets you:
  • 1. Create a personal wishlist and capture the information of your wish including image, location, price and notes.
  • 2. View your wish in grid, in list or in details
  • 3. Sort your wish by name or by date
  • 4. Search your wish
  • 5. Show the location of your wish on Google Map
  • 6. Share your wish through various social network, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more.

I hope you have found this list useful. Do you have a favourite app? Leave a comment and tell us about it 🙂

Thanks for reading my blog 🙂

Tell Your Friends

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Thanks for visiting!

  • 169,938 hits

Top Posts & Pages

  • Calvin Klein Edinburgh Boutique Launch
    Calvin Klein Edinburgh Boutique Launch
  • 30% off Beauty Sale
    30% off Beauty Sale
  • Trying OSMO
    Trying OSMO
  • Mary Kay Press Event in Glasgow
    Mary Kay Press Event in Glasgow
  • Perfect Gifts and Interiors, Glasgow
    Perfect Gifts and Interiors, Glasgow
  • Inside the October Glossybox
    Inside the October Glossybox
  • Currys in the Kitchen Glasgow Blogger Bake-off
    Currys in the Kitchen Glasgow Blogger Bake-off
  • Shut-Up and Take My Money - Halloween
    Shut-Up and Take My Money - Halloween
  • I'm dreaming of a Lush Christmas - Lush 2014 Christmas Range Event, Braehead
    I'm dreaming of a Lush Christmas - Lush 2014 Christmas Range Event, Braehead
  • It's here, the Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 is officially on sale
    It's here, the Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 is officially on sale

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow blog via Bloglovin

bloglovin

Follow Beauty and the Best of the Rest on Facebook

Follow Beauty and the Best of the Rest on Facebook

Tweet Tweet

My Tweets

Visitors

Free counters!

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Beauty and the Best of the Rest
    • Join 436 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Beauty and the Best of the Rest
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: