Review: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Multi-Tone Revealing Moisturizing Shampoo

Ulta- $5.99

http://www.johnfrieda.com/en-US/ProductDetail/Hair-Care/Brilliant-Brunette/Shine-Release-Moisturizing-Shampoo-For-All-Shades

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod2095302

Found on JohnFrieda.com

This shampoo uses sweet almond oil and crushed pearl to ‘rehydrate and revitalize dull, dry, brittle hair for renewed silkiness and exceptional shine’, meant to bring out highlights in natural or died brunette hair. The interesting thing is that, according to the packaging, there are no dyes in the product itself so I’m not sure how that is accomplished.

 

Ingredients

WATER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE, GLYCOL DISTEARATE, DIMETHICONE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, CETYL ALCOHOL, BETAINE, COCAMIDE MEA, FRAGRANCE, GLYCERYL OLEATE, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, CARAMEL, DISODIUM EDTA, MALIC ACID, LAURETH-4, LAURETH-23, SODIUM CHLORIDE, GLYCINE, SODIUM XYLENESULFONATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED BUTTER, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, PEARL POWDER, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, LECITHIN, ALCOHOL, RETINYL PALMITATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, MAGNESIUM ASCORBYL PHOSPHATE

 

This shampoo is a funny one- it started out doing its job wonderfully, but then after around 1/2 the bottle was finished, it stopped cleaning my hair. I have hair that gets rather oily at the roots but remains dry at the ends, and is fine but dense (if that makes sense). My hair was getting oily again less than 24 hours after washing and was looking limp. I don’t know whether this is because of the shampoo itself or if my scalp chemistry changed, so it is difficult to comment on its effectiveness in that respect. Either is entirely likely, during the course of using it, I underwent a month of stress from school. This could have caused it directly or indirectly because my diet changed with the stress to incorporate crappier food. However, before it stopped working I really loved this shampoo- it cleaned my hair while still keeping it hydrated and shiny, and I think it really did live up to its claim of bringing out “multi-dimensional tones”. I doubt it will cover roots, but I think it could definitely extend the life and vibrancy of a dye job.

The shampoo smells interesting, a bit like a shea body lotion with some faint chemicals scents in it. The smell does not stay in the hair, so it won’t be a problem for those who don’t like strong smells.

I think this would be a great pick for anyone with dry hair. This may even work for people with normal to slightly oily hair (if it was the fault of my own scalp chemistry) because it worked well for the first period, but I can’t give any guarantees. Perhaps coupled with a good clarifying shampoo once or twice a week it could work well. I do not think this would be suited for extremely oily hair.

Rating: B

 

Product Smackdown: Color Enhancing Conditioners for Brunettes

In one of my LBTs (see post here), I mentioned a conditioner from John Frieda that was supposed to enhance the color of brown hair. I really did like it, hence having it in a favorites post, but since then I have tried a couple more and have a little more experience in the world of color enhancing conditioners. In this post, I will be evaluating my original favorite, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Hydration Conditioner, Guhl Farbglanz Braun Balsam-Spülung (“Color Shine Brunette Hydration Conditioner”), and the Lee Stafford Blinding Brunette Condtioner. I love this kind of conditioner because they really make my hair color look nice. Without them, my color can be a little blah. I must also say that I actually like all of these conditioners, but I do have one favorite. One thing to take note of, though, if you do decide to use one: if a glob lands on the floor of the shower, wash it off right away or it might stain. It goes away eventually, but still isn’t that fabulous.

 

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Hydration Conditioner: ~€7/250ml (dm, Rossman)

Guhl Farbglanz Braun Balsam-Spülung: ~€3-4 (dm, Rossman)

Lee Stafford Blinding Brunette Conditioner: ~₤5-8/25 ml (Boots)

http://www.johnfrieda.de/haarpflege-produkte/brilliant-brunette/bb-hydration-conditioner

http://www.guhl.de/kollektionen/farbglanz-braun/#reflect_p03

http://www.leestafford.com/en/products/blinding-brunette/blinding-brunette-conditioner#.UQJvGxzNpYB

Found on John Frieda website

Found on Guhl web

 

Found on Lee Stafford website

 

	John Frieda	Guhl	Lee Stafford
Features (as found on brand websites)	Restores moisture and shine to dull, dry hair Unlocks color nuances in hair without needing to get it colored Made with crushed pearls and tea leaf extract	Gives hair strength and shine whilst intensifying color Noticeable flexibility Extra-easy combability With walnut extract	Adds moisture and shine Enhances brown tones UV protection Made with walnut and henna for color and moringa seed extract for shine
Price	2nd place	1st place	3rd place
Moisturizing, shine, and softening capabilities (as decided by me)	Good, made my hair nicely soft and shiny. For all conditioners, I would put it at the higher end of average.   3rd place	Good, made my hair nicely soft and shiny. For all conditioners, I would put it at the higher end of average. Slightly better than other two. 1st place	Good, made my hair nicely soft and shiny. For all conditioners, I would put it at the higher end of average. Slightly better than John Frieda. 2nd place
Color renewal capabilities (as decided by me)	Good, brought out the brown tones well.   2nd place (tie)	Really good, made my hair color fresh and bright, almost like I had just colored it. 1st place	Good, brought out the brown tones well.   2nd place (tie)
Scent	Pleasant, traditional conditioner scent but a little more chocolaty.   3rd place	Pleasant, very similar to John Frieda.     2nd place	LOVE, traditional Lee Stafford scent. It was funny because I hated it in the heat defense spray, but loved it here. 1st place
Packaging	OK, easy(ish) to get water in after you can’t squeeze product out. Not clear, though, or as sturdy as the Guhl one. Also has sharp corners.     3rd place	OK, it’s sturdy (good for travel), but is a bit harder to get out especially when getting to the end. Also it’s smaller, so you have to buy it more often. Relatively easy to get water in. Rounded corners 2nd place	Very good, first of all it’s pink. Next, it’s ombre. ‘K. Also, it is transparent so you can see how much you have left. Not as sturdy as Guhl one, and has sharp corners.   1st place
OVERALL RANK	3rd place	1st place	2nd place

As I explained before, I actually like all these products, but I prefer the Guhl one over the others because it has the best color renewal and moisturizing capabilities. It is also a bit cheaper than the others. The Lee Stafford one is a close second, I LOVE the packaging and scent, but in addition to being not quite as good for color and moisture as the Guhl one, it is really hard to find. I bought mine in Hungary at Douglas on the Vaci Ut, if that helps anyone… But really if you see any one of these, I would really recommend picking them up, they are really fabulous.

 

Lilla’s Box of Treasures (LBD): September 2012

Well I haven’t done one of these in a while, and it is Wednesday (my day for random posts), and I have a lab report for Biology due Friday that I’d rather not do, so I decided to do my monthly favesies!

Beauty Favorites:

A+D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahh trusty A+D, how I do love you. I use this for just about everything, but this has been instrumental, along with another product that I will mention shortly, in keeping my hands from being chopped off for a snakeskin handbag. I wrote a rather glowing post about it last week comparing it to the famous Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (if you would like to read that, click here), so I will not go into a ton of detail. Anyway, it is fabulous… and cheap, too! When I go back to the States in October I will probably pick up some back-ups.

The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream SPF 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was given to me a fairly short amount of time ago by a very good friend (hey Marie, thanks schmexy lady!), and I wish I had it for longer because it is AWESOME. Now, you may say that 4 days is not enough time to test out a product. Believe me, for this product this is not the case: I have used it enough times to know it is just amazing! I will wait a little longer to write a full review though. Anyway, it smells gorgeous, exactly like roses. It sinks in really quickly and doesn’t leave your hands feeling nasty, which is great. It is extremely moisturizing (this was the other key player in Mission Prevent The World From Experiencing The Horror That Is Lilla’s Hands In The Winter/Fall), and I like that this has SPF in it to protect my hands from the unrelenting German sun. Just kidding, there is no sun here, especially as we get towards fall. It is supposed to be for mature skin, but whatever. I think I am a very mature 15 year old, and can therefore handle the cream with wisdom and grace.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, I have to confess that this is only a sample size, but for this a little goes a long way and I have been testing this out for a good long while. I really really REALLY like this face cream, it is really moisturizing, has a gorgeous texture, and smells really nice. It is actually a real bummer that I like it so much, because I cannot see myself purchasing the full-size product for a very long time. Why? Because I checked on FeelUnique.com and it’s like 70 quid. Now that may be fine when I am older and looking into higher caliber anti-aging products (not to mention when I actually earn a proper salary), but for now I think as much as I like it, I don’t think I can justify spending 70 pounds at this stage in my life.

The Body Shop Eye Definer in Blue Smoke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the products that I carry around in my Emergency Kit, because it is an easy, one-step look that looks nice and doesn’t need tools. This is an interesting color, it is a non-shimmery grey with just a slight overcast of blue, it adds a really pretty smokiness without looking too harsh or stark. When I finish this, which probably won’t be long now!, I will be buying another.

Lilla Brand Tinted Lipbalm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah ok, I am pretty proud of myself. Maybe a bit too proud. But I don’t care. I really like this color, it is really easy to apply, you don’t need a mirror, and it looks gorgeous whilst still moisturizing. That seems to be a theme for this month, I guess that’s fair enough because we are moving into Fall and Winter. This product also gets bonus points for doubling as an emergency blush!

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Tone-Revealing Hydration Conditioner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly I was a bit skeptical about the tone-revealing properties of this conditioner, but I think it really did work. My hair is not only softer and more hydrated, it does look quite a bit shinier and… well, richer, I guess. It’s nice!

Real Techniques Detailer Brush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brush is from the Core Collection, and I am really enjoying it! It can be used for a lot of different things, but this month I pretty much used it for lipstick. At first I thought it was going to be a bit big for my lips, but it turned out to do a really good job. It gives nice clean lines, and gives you a lot of control. I love how all the brushes from this set feel, they are super soft and feel really well constructed.

Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea Pocket Bac

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This thing is such a lifesaver! I use this nearly every day because I take the tram to school, so it keeps me from dying. Yes. It smells divine, and the little blue beads that just disappear never fail to amaze me. I am easily amused, I know. Anyway, this product is the bomb and I would not be here without it!

The Body Shop Neroli Jasmine Eau de Toilette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one that I have commandeered from my mom (well she never wears it… :D). It is a pretty sweet smell, and very warm. This may be a bit sweet for some people but I have gotten some compliments on it so I am obviously not alone in loving it. I am also pretty impressed with the staying power of it, considering it is an EDT.

Random Favorites

Primandonna by Marina and the Diamonds

I have liked this song since camp, but just recently I went to see Coldplay when they came to my city (it was AWESOME), and Marina and the Diamonds played backup. I actually have developed a bit of a girl crush on her, she is gorgeous, has the most amazing figure, and has a great voice! From what I saw at the concert it seemed like she has a really sweet personality too. She was wearing a really pretty outfiit at the concert, nothing that I could ever pull off but look fabulous on her.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mavnu7iGdl1r9misbo1_500.jpg
With the glasses and the vest…

As Long as You Love Me by Justin Bieber Ft. Big Sean

Ok, this is kind of my guilty pleasure song… Ordinarily I’m not fond of Justin Bieber, but this song is just so irresistible!

Same by Snow Patrol

I have just recently discovered this song, it is so relaxing and sweet, it is just so calming.

My Awesome Typewriter Notebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked this notebook up from T.K. Maxx.for 6 euros (!). I haven’t written in it yet, I haven’t decided what I will use it for, but it is just so perfect!

My Gina Tricot Sweater

Courtesy of Gina Tricot

This is one of my most recent clothing purchases. I think it is so pretty and delicate and perfect for the upcoming months!

My Rain Boots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure what brand these are because my mom got me them from Costco, but please tell me these are not the awesomest wellies in the history of the world. Just try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Worn Products Tag *Summer Edition*

I really enjoyed watching other people do this tag, so I have decided to turn it into a blog post. Hope you like it!

1) Most worn nail polish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would probably have to be either OPI’s Lucern-tainly Look Marvelous or Wet n Wild’s Emblazed. Emblazed is a quite summery color, but the OPI color? Not so much… I think it was because the beginning of the summer the whether here in Germany was really super cold.

2) Most worn scent

Image courtesy of Sephora.com

I wore Dior Addict Eau Fraiche quite a bit, but more towards the end of the summer, I really like it. Apparently it has notes of bergamot, grapefruit, orange, freesia, lily of the valley, lotus flower, pineapple, watermelon, grenadine, sandalwood, and white musk, but honestly I wouldn’t know because I am terrible at describing scents. It is a very appropriate scent for summer, it is pretty light. I guess that’s from the floral notes? Anyway, it is beautiful.

3) Most worn hair product

Image courtesy of The Body Shop

Image courtesy of JohnFrieda.com

This is quite easy, The Body Shop Rainforest Shampoo for oily hair and the John Frieda detangling spray. Right now my hair is the healthiest it has ever been, and I am pretty sure it is down to one or both of these products. I cannot rep the Body Shop shampoo enough, I love everything about it. It is sulfate free but still manages to fully clean my hair, and smells phenomenal to boot (to see the full post, click here). The John Frieda detangling spray is pretty good as well, it does the job and smells quite good (and to see the full post for this one, click here).

4) Most worn bag

Image courtesy of Bloomingdales.com

Again, an easy one: I only really ever use one bag outside of school, and that is my Longchamp Le Pliage. I love it (obviously!), it is chic and timeless and goes with everything. It is also a good size for me; it fits everything I need to bring, without being too big. This is very important for me, because I tend to bring a lot of stuff so I need space, but if the bag is too big I will fill it with all kinds of crap that I would never need and I would give myself back problems.

5) Most worn shoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That would definitely be my flip-flops! I hate wearing socks, so as soon as the weather permitted I donned my sandals and hardly took them off after! I got this pair in Italy, from a shop called Scout. I am very impressed with them, they are extremely sturdy and they were only 10€!! When I walk my feet turn in, and I have wrecked so many pairs of shoes, both cheap and not so cheap. For these flip-flops to be in the condition that they are in after a whole summer of wearing them pretty much non-stop is nothing short of amazing.

6) Most worn accessory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sunnies! These are my babies, they are oversized and gorgeous and just generally perfect! They are from Versace, and I feel like a movie star when I wear them.

7) Most worn clothing item

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess this would have to be my American Eagle top. This is one of my favorites out of all the tops that I have, I love how baggy it is as well and the pattern on the tie.

8+9) Most worn blush/bronzer and lip product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have combined these two questions because the answer is the same for both of them. I have used MAC’s Costa Chic both on my lips and on my cheeks because it saves time and looks really nice! It also means less product I have to carry around with me to touch up.

10) Most worn mascara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I only use one mascara at a time, so this summer was still my Bourjois Volume Glamour Max mascara in its awesome hot pink tube.

11) Most worn eyeshadow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t really wear eyeshadow very much this season, I got really into smudgy eyeliner… my most worn eyeliner, though, would have to be the Body Shop eyeliner in Blue Smoke.

Well, that’s it, I hope you enjoyed my tag post!

Review: John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioning Spray

236 ml

Ulta- $5.99

Boots- £5.59 (called Daily Miracle Treatment)

Douglas- €9.95 (billiger bei Rossman oder dm, ca. €7.99?)

John Frieda describes this product as a leave-in treatment that “strengthens and helps repair hair” by using “high-potency infusions of vitamins, proteins, and supplemental moisture…”. It should “instantly detangle for smooth, silky, vibrantly healthy-looking results” and claims that “hair detangles easily for increased manageability and reduced risk of breakage and split ends”. It contains wheat proteins, glycerine, and vitamins A, E, and C, which should protect and hydrate “dry, damaged, frizz-prone hair”. It contains heat protection.

INGREDIENTS:

WATER, GLYCERIN, AMODIMETHICONE, PANTHENOL, BISAMINO PEG/PPG-41/3 AMINOETHYL PG-PROPYL DIMETHICONE, VP/DIMETHYLAMINOETHYLMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, TRIDECETH-12, DIMETHICONE PEG-8 MEADOWFOAMATE, DIAZOLIDINYL UREA, FRAGRANCE, POLYQUATERNIUM-59, COCODIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, CITRIC ACID, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN PG-PROPYL SILANETRIOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, WHEAT AMINO ACIDS, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CHELIDONIUM MAJUS EXTRACT, ROSA CANINA FRUIT EXTRACT, OLIVE OIL PEG-7 ESTERS, ASCORBIC ACID, RETINYL PALMITATE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT

I have heard that it is really important to use a detangler or something similar on wet hair before brushing it through, as apparently hair is really vulnerable when wet and attacking it with a hairbrush when it is vulnerable is not a good thing to do. Judging from the description of the product, brushing hair without a detangler may cause breakage and split ends. As I don’t particularly want either and this detangler was on offer for €3.99 I decided to pick it up.

I have been using this product nearly every day for maybe two weeks now, and I can see a definite improvement in the health of my hair. I found this product to be very good in terms of detangling; it really does make brushing through it easier, and makes my hair really soft and shiny. It says it is for dry hair, although I have sort of oily hair and it worked nicely for me. This isn’t a product that people with oily hair should shy away from, it doesn’t make me greasy faster or anything. As for people with dry hair, this probably won’t completely solve your problems on its own but will definitely help to add a bit of moisture to your hair and keep it healthy-looking and nourished.

I especially love that it has a heat protectant in it, though I don’t normally use anything for blow-drying my hair, it is a very useful thing to have in the product and eliminates any worries regarding heat damage. I actually blow-dry my hair a lot because I think it generally looks nicer, so this will really help keep my hair safe so I don’t have to feel guilty.

As for the smell, I quite like it. Unfortunately it doesn’t smell as nice as the Body Shop detangler (another detangler that I have tried and will review soon), but it’s ok because it works better, and still smells fine, actually fairly similar. But still, this does make me a little sad and is pretty much the only downside to the product, even if it is just me bemoaning the fact that the Body Shop one smelled so heavenly but didn’t work so well on the detangling.

Overall, I really like this product and would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone who has hair long enough to get tangled after showers. It has really made my hair look great and protects my hair very well in terms of preventing breakage and split ends caused by attacking my poor, vulnerable hair with a hairbrush when its wet, and in terms of heat protection for when I blast it with my hairdryer. One thing I have just found out that I am not terribly happy with is that the bottle runs out quite fast. Even after having used conditioner, you still need quite a bit of it to really get the tangles out. If you are paying close to 10 euros on it (well, I got it on sale, but still…) I should hope it would last a decent amount of time.

Rating: B+