COLAB Dry Shampoo
COLAB is a range of dry shampoos which have been created by one of our favourite UK beauty bloggers, Ruth Crilly, from A Model Recommends. What makes this dry shampoo different from its ‘drug store’ competitors, is that it’s completely sheer and transparent, so it leaves no residue in the hair. As a brunette, I’ve always struggled a bit with dry shampoo because, no matter how thoroughly I massaged/brushed the product through, it always seemed to leave an unslightly chalkish hue and, more often than not, sticky roots. Plus, the ones I used didn’t smell great and they made my scalp itch.
COLAB leaves no colour or residue behind, it smells fantastic (Monaco and London are my favourites) and it really does leave your hair feeling clean and bouncy. Another upside is that the range is incredibly affordable: full size bottles are priced at R89.00 a bottle (and are currently on a 3-for-2 special at Clicks) and the mini bottles are priced at around R45.00.
Environ Derma-Lac Lotion
I’ve written and spoken about this product on so many occasions, you must all be bored to tears. However, after reading this article from our buddy Chantelle from Not Another Poppie, I felt compelled to include Environ’s Derma-Lac Lotion in this post because Chantelle’s method of using it in conjunction with a body lotion changed the game for me.
Derma-Lac Lotion contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids, which are essential for smoothing out uneven, congested skin. They slough away dead skin cells in a jiffy, which makes this lotion perfect for ingrown hairs, rough patches and those pesky bumps on the back of the arms. The only downside is that it can feel quite tacky and uncomfortable on the skin. To eliminate that issue, follow Chantelle’s advice: apply Derma-Lac Lotion from top to toe, hang around naked in your bathroom for about five minutes, and then apply your normal body lotion. The body lotion removes the Derma-Lac tackiness, and absorbs into the skin even better than before (because, as Chantelle told me, all products absorb better when applied after AHA’s). The result: soft, smooth, blemish-free skin.
Retails for R270.00.
Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm
If you’ve never smelled Aesop’s Rind Body Concentrate, then you have been depriving your nose of so much citrussy goodness! This was given to me as a gift earlier in the year, but I decided to save it for the warmer months because covering its delicious scent with winter layers seemed like sacrilege.
I have been applying it on the upper half of my body and it is delightful (I very rarely apply my premium body lotions on my lower half – what’s the point? My legs are too far away for me to be able to smell what’s on them). It leaves the skin feeling soft and supple and the mix of pink grapefruit, orange rind and lemon rind really lifts my senses and puts me in a good mood.
Retails for R450/120ml and is available to purchase at Loading Bay (online store here).
Gillette Venus Snap with Embrace Razor*
This mini razor from Gillette is the bees knees! The sleek, compact design makes it easily portable – ideal for gym bags/travel bags/hand bags, you name it. I schelp my life around a lot, so this little cutie has really come in handy and has earned a permanent spot in my toiletry bag. It’s compatible with all existing Venus blades (as far as I am aware) – I have used it with an ‘Embrace’ blade and a ‘Divine Sensitive’ blade and they both worked like a bomb.
So handy, so nifty – I just love it. Retails for R74.99 and is available from most pharmacies and supermarkets.
Tangle Angel in Wow White*
Let’s address the most obvious issue and get it out of the way: the Tangle Angel is unsightly (and that’s putting it mildly). In fact, when it landed on my desk my immediate reaction was, in the words of Nikkie Tutorials, “Oh God no”. However, after reading the press release I decided to give it a whirl, and boy am I glad I did.
The Tangle Angel is a professional detangling brush (so far, so Tangle Teezer), however is it also heat-resistant and has anti-bacterial and anti-static properties…which means you can use it to blow dry your hair. I must confess that I had fairly low expectations, given that I had never been able to manage a successful blow dry using a plastic brush. You can imagine my surprise, and delight, when I was able to quickly (under 5 minutes) and easily (no tugging or pulling, just gentle gliding) transform my damp locks into a straight and smooth style! Admittedly my hair didn’t look as good as it does when I put in a solid 20 minutes using a round bristle brush, but given that I’m working with plastic, do I care? No.
I particularly enjoy using this brush to get my hair dry before I curl it – it ensures that the strands are just smooth enough to hold a curl (for context: rough drying sans brush leaves a frizzy mess, and using a bristle brush means I’ve got no chance of getting my hair to curl). I also like to use it on weekends when I’m less precious about having perfect hair.
Retails for R290.00 and is available from RetailBox or Tangle Angel.
*PR Sample