Kérastase Cristalliste Range

My long hair always ends up being quite a challenge to maintain and manage, especially when I don't have any hair treatment products that are suitable for my thick and heat-damaged hair. It wasn't until I was first introduced to the Kérastase Cristalliste Range a few weeks ago that my hair is now looking as healthy as ever! Today I will be reviewing the Kérastase Cristalliste Luminous Perfecting Masque and Cristal Sculpt Dual Gloss Serum. If your hair is lacking the moisture, shine and health it needs, then the Kérastase Cristalliste Range will come to the rescue!

Kérastase Cristalliste Luminous Perfecting Masque (A$60/200ml) is a hair treatment mask that is ideal for use on dry and long hair to achieve lightweight, luminous and luscious locks. My hair is long and thick which requires a lot of attention and maintenance, so this hair mask is the perfect treatment to transform my hair to reveal full volume and healthy looking hair. The formula is enriched with three core ingredients: a Polymer derived from Glucose to facilitate blow-drying, a Dry Oil for intense nourishment and hydration, and both Candellia Cera and Ceramides to protect hair against external aggressors. 

To use this Luminous Perfecting Masque, apply a small dollop to towel-dried hair, massage the product through the lengths and ends, leave in for 5 minutes and then rinse out with lukewarm water. I always treat my hair with a hair mask once a week to ensure my hair stays healthy and luminous.

The Luminous Perfecting Masque is a pearlescent opaque pink formula that is quite thick yet easy to massage into my hair. The scent is absolutely beautiful as it leaves my hair smelling like a fresh bouquet of flowers. While rinsing the product from my hair my hair felt incredibly silky and velvety smooth and I run my fingers through my hair under the shower head. My hair feels beautiful nourished and well hydrated. This is just what my hair needs!

Kérastase Cristalliste Cristal Sculpt Dual Gloss Serum (A$45/30ml) is a luminous double gloss sculpting serum that helps to boost the shine and radiance in hair. The Dual Gloss Serum contains two liquid components that are very thin in consistency. Both components are dispensed simultaneously from the pump bottle before you can mix the two formulas in the palms of your hands and apply to your hair. The transparent serum is an an aqueous based formula that contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid to help smooth the structure of hair while the light pink coloured gloss helps to boost shine with the presence of 'liquid mirror' particles. I found it quite interesting that this serum exists in the form of two components where each component has it's own benefit and action to improve the structure and nature of hair. 

To use this Dual Gloss Serum, apply 1-2 pumps to your palm and mix thoroughly to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Apply to wet/dry or towel-dried hair and work the product through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. I prefer using this Dual Gloss Serum after towel drying my hair as this is the point where my hair becomes quite unmanageable. The best way to apply is to start form the ends and work your way to the mid-lengths of hair. Running my fingers through my hair while applying the Dual Gloss Serum helps to break free tangled sections of hair. Leave the Dual Gloss Serum in your hair and do not rinse out. This Dual Gloss Serum can also be used with styling irons and before blow drying, so it is quite a versatile product that helps to lock in moisture and strength to your hair. 

The scent of this Dual Gloss Serum is quite fragrant and invokes a pleasant and crisp floral scent that leaves my hair smelling lovely and fresh like a bouquet of flowers! The consistency of the Dual Gloss Serum is very lightweight, so I've had to use at least two full pumps to thoroughly apply the product to my long and thick hair. The serum doesn't weight my hair down at all, which is a great plus as my hair normally feels unmanageable, messy and difficult to work with. I love how this serum can be used to prep and protect the hair before using heat styling tools or a dryer. My hair feels silky smooth, less coarse and less frizzy to the point where I feel like my hair is getting a good dose of nutrients to help strengthen and tame my hair.  My hair feels a lot more manageable and easy to style as the formula does help to leave my hair tangle-free!

The Kérastase Cristalliste range is available at selected hair salons nationwide.

Do you incorporate a hair treatment mask and serum to maintain hair?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Kérastase Paris and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil

One of my most loved hair treatment products is the luxurious Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil (A$55/125ml) which aims to beautify and enrich hair with 4 key emollient and nourishing ingredients: Maize, Argan, Camellia and Pracaxi oils. My long and thick hair needs a regular boost in nourishing and hydrating ingredients as it does tend to go dry during the cooler seasons when I always opt for nice warm showers. Additionally, my daily hair regime of using a hair-dryer and heat-styling tools just adds to the damage done to my hair. The great thing about this Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil is that you can distribute the oil to dry or wet hair and you can also use it in 5 different ways:

• Heat protectant: to create a barrier while providing protection against heat damage
• Pre-wash: to prep the hair before cleansing and allowing the hair to be tangle-free
• Leave-in conditioner: to lock in the nourishing benefits of the core ingredients. I sometimes leave in a couple of drops in my hair after showering and before going to bed
• Finishing product: to maximise shine, protection and nourish the hair
• Re-touch: just re-apply a couple of drops to re-nourish and tame the hair

The transparent elixir is very thin in consistency and once I apply a couple of drops to the mid-lengths and ends of my hair it immediately feels weightless and silky soft! My hair looks shiny, healthy and well nourished! This product is my go-to product every time I feel that my hair is lacking moisture and shine and needs protection. The oil reduces the amount of frizz and flyaways that develop after styling my hair, so it's just a great bonus that this one product can transform my hair to look naturally beautiful and impeccable!

 

Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil is available at selected salons nationwide.

How do you protect your hair from heat damage?

Have you tried Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil before?

xx Rose

Google Reader to close + TBRR Turns 2 Giveaway!

I’m sure most of you beauties are well aware that Google Reader (news has been floating around that GFC will not close, only Google Reader) will come to an end on July 1^st2013. It’s sad news indeed, however, one way in which we can all keep connected and on track in the beauty blogosphere is to use Bloglovin’, which is similar in contrast to Google Reader. The main difference is that you need to login to the Bloglovin' website to view the list of blogs you follow and as for those who are following your blog... well you can choose to receive an e-mail notification once someone follows your blog, since the list of your followers seems to be non-existent. Despite this, the settings and layout of Bloglovin' are coherent and very easy to navigate. 

On a side note, The Beauty of Red Roses turns TWO and I’m hosting a Giveaway to celebrate! I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of my loyal readers for coming by and spending some time on The Beauty of Red Roses. I’m very grateful to have met so many lovely beauty bloggers in person and via the blogosphere since The Beauty of Red Roses was born, so thank you all once again for your support! 

Without further ado, here are the details of my Giveaway! 

I’ve collected a few beauty products and accessories from my favourite brands and I will be giving away this bunch of beauty/accessory products to TWO lucky winners! Please see the Rafflecopter Widget below (you may need to wait awhile for it to load) and there will be a few questions and tasks that you may choose to do to earn more chances to win the draw.

This Giveaway will be open until May 30^th 2013 and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Giveaway is open internationally!

Beauty Pack ONE

 Beauty Pack ONE

Strawberry Shaped Hair Rollers

Heart Shaped Curling Sticks

MIMCO Hair Barrette/Clip 

Kiss Everlasting French Salon Nails

Revlon  ColorBurst Lipstick in Petal

Bourjois Beauty'Full Volume Mascara in 01 Beauty'Full Black

Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen

Bloom Cosmetics Eye Definer Crayon in Black

Models Prefer Multipurpose makeup Sponge 

  

Beauty Pack TWO

 Beauty Pack TWO

Strawberry Shaped Hair Rollers  

Heart Shaped Curling Sticks 

Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r Kit

L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes in Extra Black

Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner in Saphire Blue

Eylure Eyebrow Shapers

Eylure Naturalites Lengthening False Lashes

Bloom Cosmetics Mango Tango Natural Flavour Lip Balm

Manicare Disposable Mascara Brushes mixed pack of 20 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! 

August Empties

Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover: This eye makeup remover rocks my world! It removes all traces of eye liner, shadow and mascara and it doesn't irritate my eyes. I received this as a gift and being 30ml, it lasted me quite awhile.

Maybelline Baby Lips (reviewed here): This lip balm smells berry-delicious! It's nice and small, so fits nicely in my jeans pocket. 

L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer: This primer comes in a jar which does seem un-hygienic, so you need to use a small plastic spatula to scoop out the product. The primer is relatively thick pastel pink coloured mousse-like formula, so using the warmth from my hands helps to absorb it through the skin. The formula gives a nice silicone feel to the skin and makes a great base for foundation. I'm not a fan of the thick texture, so I don't see myself re-purchasing.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex: I thoroughly enjoyed using this serum as it contains Hyaluronic Acid and antioxidants which help to moisturise the skin and combat free radicals as a night treatment. It's so exxy, so maybe using up a sample of this wasn't such a great idea... well not so good for my purse!

Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser (reviewed here): This gel cleanser is great for my combination/oily skin type as it feels soo gentle to my skin and cleanses my skin really well. It's non-drying and leaves my skin feeling smooth.

Sally Hansen Moisturising Foot Creme in Lavender: My skin inevitably becomes dry during winter, so this foot creme came in really handy to hydrate and condition my dry heels. The scent is lavender, my favourite scent, so that's another great bonus! 

Soap and Glory Flake Away: Soap and Glory products smell utterly divine! Flake Away is an amazing product which buffs my skin and leaves it feeling ultra smooth hydrated. Will definitely look into purchasing the full size!

ULittleBeauty Enriching Night Cream: I love all ULittleBeauty skincare and hair care products as they are nautral based products and smell wonderfully botanical. This night cream feels very hydrating on my skin and the texture is nice and lightweight.

Nivea Pure and Natural Hand Cream: I am a huge fan of nautral based products and this hand cream is one that I love! It contains bio Argan Oil which helps to nourish and hydrate my hands. During winter, this product was a necessity!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (reviewed here): I love using dry shampoo and Klorane Dry Shampoo is an amazing product that's a must-have in my gym bag. It's great for travel and so quick and easy to use when my hair needs an instant refresher.

Have you used any of these products before? Which products have you finished recently?

xx Rose

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity Serum

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity Serum (A$35.95/30ml) is the latest addition to the L'Oreal Paris Youth Code skincare range. The serum aims to swipe away dull and moisture lacking skin as well as banish the appearance of sun spots, age spots and dark spots to reveal the skins radiance and natural luminosity. 

L'Oreal - 'A precious light infusing serum developed for women aged 25-35 to help correct dark spots and reveal more even, youthful looking skin. The serum is enriched with patented Lumi-GenTM technology to even and illuminate your skin tone.'

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity Serum is packaged in a very sophisticated and sleek silver bottle with a pump top. The design looks very luxurious and 'high-end'. The pump for some reason did not operate smoothly as every time I tried to dispense some product the pump seemed to become ajar halfway and with a little more effort I would end up with too much product. I must have been a fault with the bottle I purchased.

The serum appears opaque with a pearlescent sheen and the consistency is relatively lightweight. The texture of the serum is more like a gel/lotion formulation, so it spreads easily. A couple of pea size amounts, or two 'half-pump's' using my bottle of Luminosity Serum is adequate to evenly apply to the face.  The absorbency of this serum was super fast and at the same time my skin felt nice and smooth and soft to touch. 

One of my main skin concerns is uneven skintone and a few small sun spots on my cheekbones. Although the active ingredient of the Luminosity Serum is Lumi-GenTM (which aims to illuminate and even skin tone), I unfortunately haven't noticed any dramatic change to the appearance of my skin. After using this serum a few weeks on and off and back on again, I feel that my skin feels well moisturised (which I love), however, I feel like my skin is missing out on the goodness of other active ingredients such as vitamins and nutrients that are formulated in other serums.

Overall, L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity Serum hydrated my skin very well and worked very well as a base for applying moisturiser followed by foundation and makeup. It didn't break my skin out and did not irritate my skin. Unfortunately, the long term effects of this serum did not spark my interest and I would prefer to use a serum which contains more beneficial core ingredients. 

Have you tried L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity before? 

xx Rose

NEW L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks

As you may have noticed in my previous posts, I went on a short holiday to Berlin where I went on a fun-filled shopping spree. In Berlin, I stumble across a store called Drogerie Markt (DM) which is the Priceline of Australia but smaller and that they also house a few grocery store products. The Beauty section was situated in one corner of the store and they stocked products from Essie, Essence, L'Oreal and Maybelline, just to name a few. I was hoping to come across the Revlon stand to purchase a few Lip Butters, however, there was none in site as the store is quite small. Despite this, I was VERY EXCITED to see the brand new range of L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks (€9.90) which is reminiscent of Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters! These L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks have not reached Australia yet, so I was quite stunned to come across these beauties! L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks was initially released in Europe early in the year and they have recently launched in the US, however, the packaging is different (it's square shaped and gold-toned). I honestly prefer the packaging of the European version :)

These L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks claim to provide a weightless sensation, meltingly soft application, feather-light feel and a luminous and fresh pop of colour.

L'Oreal Paris - 'Don't just stroke them, Caresse them. Lips say yes to this Caresse. A futter of kissably soft light-weight feeling colour. It's delicate texture glides onto lips creating a veil of colour with a luminous shine.'

Depending on which country, the number and shades of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse is slightly different. In the UK there are 10 bright and eye-catching shades of the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks, however, in Germany there are 15 different shades available.

I purchased the shades 04 Rose Mademoiselle (rosey cool-toned pink), 102 Mauve Cherie (medium rosey mauve), 301 Dating Coral (peachy coral) and 03 Lovely Rose (light pale pink). The packaging is sleek, sophisticated, luxe and comparable to high end lipsticks such as the Dior Addict Be Iconic lipsticks! I am very impressed with the packaging as it looks like a high end lipstick. The cap of the lipstick tube is transparent, so you could see exactly what the shade of lipstick it is and this makes selecting a shade very easy.  

L-R: Rose Mademoiselle, Mauve Cherie, Dating Coral and Lovely Rose

L-R: Rose Mademoiselle, Mauve Cherie, Dating Coral and Lovely Rose

The L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick formula is very moisturising (like lip balm) and pigmented being a hybrid lip blam and lipstick. The formula feels very smooth when applied on the lips and I was surprised to see how pigmented these were as I had expected them to be quite sheer. One application provides a beautiful soft intensity of colour, whereas, two or more applications provides a more pigmented and near-opaque finish. The formula contains extremely subtle shimmers that are barely noticeable. It feels lovely and comfortable on and does not dry or flake during wear. If you have dry and dehydrated lips, these lipsticks will be your saviour! The glossy and shiny finish leaves my lips looking luscious and brightens the look of my face (just as would a lipstick would provide).

The longevity of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks is around 3-4 hours, so I normally do a full re-application after lunch to maintain the pigmentation and hydration. However, on days that I don't re-apply, my L'Oreal Rouge Caresse leaves a subtle stain on my lips which still looks quite lovely. 

All in all, I love the shades I purchased and I love the moisturising feeling from the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick formula. The pigmentation is pretty good for a hybrid lipstick. If you prefer lip products with great hydration and a luscious pop of colour, L'Oreal Rouge Caresse is the one for you. But, if you prefer lip products which provide a more bold and opaque finish, then opting for a lipstick would be better. 

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse is very similar to Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter, but both are unique in their own ways. To choose between the two, I prefer L'Oreal Rouge Caresse over Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters as they are more pigmented, hydrating and I prefer the chic shades of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks. 

What do you think of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks? Would you be keen to try these out yourself?

xx Rose

Priceline Haul:Take Home Hair Salon Bag

Priceline Haul: Models Prefer Hair Brush and Combs and Klorane Dry Shampoo

Priceline Take Home Hair Salon Bag of hair products

Hair masque, treatment and spray | Shampoo | Hair towel, compact mirror, comb and accessory | Various vouchers and a shampoo sample.

It's been awhile since I actually walked out of Priceline with a huge shopping bag weighing more than 5 kilograms! There is currently a special offer going on at Priceline: from now until Monday 21 May 2012, if you spend more than $40 on participating brands at Priceline, you will receive The Take Home Hair Salon goody bag containing all the essentials you need to keep your locks in good shape! Priceline sure has saved me from having bad hair days this coming winter season! I purchased my favourite Klorane Dry Shampoo and Models Prefer Hair brush and combs for approx. $45 and received some interesting hair products from Wella, John Frieda, Klorane and Scunci, just to name a few. This is really an amazing offer and you don't want to miss getting your hands on this gigantic gift bag- be sure to stop by Priceline by Monday 21 May!

I received a voucher to redeem a free Revlon Colorsilk Hair Colour DIY hair dye kit which I will be giving away to one lucky reader! The voucher can only be redeemed at Priceline stores in Australia before 10 June 2012. You can simply enter this competition by submitting your entry in the Rafflecopter widget below. Just be sure to allow a few seconds for Rafflecopter to load.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Entries are open to Australian residents only. 

The winner will be notified the day after the Giveaway closes. If the winner does not reply within 48 hours I will re-draw the winner.

Good luck!

Review: L'Oreal Sublime Mousse

Visiting the salon to colour my hair can be quite pricey, so I sometimes have a D.I.Y. home hair colouring session to save some money. However, there are so many different types and brands of hair colouring kits in the supermarkets that it's quite difficult to choose a good quality hair dye kit. 

The best I've used thus far is L'Oreal Sublime Mousse!

L'Oreal has recently released their new and innovative Sublime Mousse permanent colouring kit which comes in a handful of natural looking hair colours. This new formula is in the form of an aerated mousse. Intrigued by this new invention, I decided to road test L'Oreal's Sublime Mousse in #60 Pure Light Brown, which is around two shades lighter than my natural hair colour. 

The kit comes with a Liquid to Mousse Developer, Liquid to Mousse Colourant, a pump, conditioner (40 mL), disposable gloves and an instruction sheet.

Pros:

I like the fact that the developer comes packaged in a convenient to use pump and you don't need any additional brushes to apply the dye. It's a very clean process which is really great for at home hair colouring. The mousse texture is to be used like shampoo and you just gently massage the mousse to your hair. Surprisingly, the mousse had bound very well to my hair that the dye DID NOT drip or run down my hair and end up as a mess on the floor! 

I'm amazed about this hair dye as it's mess-free and so easy to apply without a helping hand. The quantity of this product is great as I usually use two boxes to colour my thick long hair, however, I ended up dying my own hair PLUS my partner's short hair with some product left in the bottle. 

My hair feels soft and smooth and not dry or rigid. I'm very happy with the outcome of Sublime Mousse and will continue to use this in future, rather than heading to the Salon!

Cons:

My hair is looking natural, though I wish the shade I used was lighter like it appears on the box. It seems like the shade shown on the box is much lighter than the shade of the product. 

I think L'Oreal aimed to produce a selection of natural coloured hair dyes, so there isn't a wider range of shades to include my favourite shades of bergundy, auburn and plum shades.

Overall:

L'Oreal Sublime Mousse is a great product for natural looking coloured hair and colouring my hair at home has never been so easy and mess-free.

Have you tried L'Oreal Sublime Mousse yet?

Do you prefer colouring your hair at home or at the salon?

Rose