Magazine Freebies Tried & Tested: Marie Claire Magazine and Dove + L’Occitane

What? Dove Damage Solutions Colour Radiance Conditioner 30ml and L’Occitane Rose Petals Hand Cream 30ml RRP £8.00

Free with? Marie Claire, November 2012

Magazine price?  £3.70

Thoughts?

November’s Marie Claire magazine comes with not one but two freebies worth over £10. The first is a conditioner from Dove’s new ‘Damage Solutions’ range designed for coloured hair. The bottle tells me it has a dual formula combining a nourishing conditioner and a ‘revitalising stripe and UV filter’ which promise to ‘seal the cuticle for more vibrant colour’. I’m a little sceptical of some of the claims made by hair and beauty brands, especially when they purport to fulfil to two completely opposite functions (in this case simultaneously penetrating the hair to nourish it and sealing the hair cuticle) and certainly when I squeezed some of the product out for the first time I found the conditioner and the pink treatment stripe had blended together into a pale pastel shade. Despite my doubts though this product did smell heavenly and had the perfect consistency –not too thick or too thin- meaning it applied effortlessly and rinsed away easily. It left my hair super soft and shiny, which even if the claims regarding its colour revitalising properties turn out to be exaggerated is worth the purchase price on its own. The full-size version is available now for just £1.65 (£1.70 off the RRP of £3.30) at Superdrug

The second product in this Marie Claire double-whammy is a limited edition hand cream from French natural beauty brand L’Occitane (am I the only one who has been saying it ‘l-ock-tain’? Apparently the correct pronunciation is actually ‘loxi-tan’) There was a choice of Date Bouquet, Mango Flower, Rose Petals or the original L’Occitane Dry Skin hand cream. Having read rave reviews I was tempted by the original but my love for floral scents won out and I chose the Rose Petals hand cream. I am so glad I did as I loved absolutely everything about this product. From the chic metallic packaging and perfect hand-bag sized to the gorgeous rose fragrance –as good as a spritz of perfume- to the luxurious concentrated formula packed with organic ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and Rosemary leaf extract. It wasn’t heavy or greasy at all and I found all I needed was a pea sized amount and it would be absorbed instantly. I cannot recommend this hand cream highly enough. If you’d like to try it for yourself, it is available in L’Occitane boutiques on online for £8.00 for 30ml here
 

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner Review

I’m a huge fan of John Frieda haircare. I usually trust the Sheer Blonde rage to keep my hair smooth and soft and maintain its colour, but when my local Boots sold out I decided it was time to try something new. I was immediately attracted by the vibrant red packaging of the Full Repair products so I picked up a bottle of the shampoo and conditioner (£5.89 each). Specially formulated for colour and chemically treated hair and enriched with Omega 3 rich Inca Inchi Oil, this range promises to ‘repair the look and feel of overstyled hair as it weightlessly restores bounce for full, flowing styles’. I did find that with just one application my hair felt softer and appeared noticeably more shiny. The shampoo had a lovely fresh salon smell and lathered well but not excessively making it easy to rinse away. The conditioner had the same light fragrance, it combed easily through my hair, instantly detangling it although I felt the texture wasn’t as rich or as thick as some of the other John Frieda conditioners I’ve tried.

My only complaint was that despite the claim that the shampoo and conditioner ‘restore body’ they actually left my fine hair totally flat and made holding any style even more challenging than usual. I think if you’re looking for volumising products there are much better alternatives out there, but when it comes to improving the condition, smoothness and shine of hair, the Full Repair range is really hard to beat.