Kerasilk Treatment (My experience)

When growing up I always had very frizzy/curly hair, which growing up became a bit annoying for me.  I ended up purchasing my first set of hair straighteners when I was 11 years old and since that day I used them religiously.  Although I do love my GHD’s (I have linked the pair that I usually use), I was fed up of the damage that it was causing to my hair.

I work in London, therefore waking up at 6am every day is a task itself, let alone having to wake up and spend a good 15 minutes to straighten my hair.  I heard about some people getting straight perms which I consulted my hairdresser about. I really did want that natural poker straight glossy hair, but as my hair has had bleach applied to it in the past, the treatment would frazzle my hair.

As my hair isn’t virgin hair, another option was the Kerasilk treatment, also known as a ‘Brazilian blow-out’.  This is a treatment which uses glyoxylic acid, keratin and silk proteins which helps to smoothen the hair follicles. The Kerasilk treatment gives the best results on thick, frizy, damaged, dry and curly hair, therefore this was ideal for me to try out.

On the day of the treatment, my hair was thoroughly washed and dried to prep for the serum to be applied to my hair. My hair was blow dried and then sectioned into tiny layers, before the chemicals being brushed onto my hair (with emphasis on the parts of my hair that did tend to frizz up the most, such as nearer to the roots of my hair).  My hair was then straightened 3 times and left to really lock into my hair for around 15 minutes.  When the chemicals where straightened into my hair the steam which was released did make my eyes water and sting, however that was my only negative about the Kerasilk treatment.  My hair was washed again and after that, my hair was blitz dried and appeared to be very straight, which I did not expect as I thought it was only meant to relax the hair. I then had a quick trim to make sure that the ends of my hair were healthy.

The treatment came to £175 as my hair wasn’t too long and only shoulder length, and within this price I received my first set of Kerasilk shampoo and conditioner.

The Goldwell Kerasilk Shampoo and Conditioner help to pro-long the life of the treatment and help to put Kerasilk back into your hair.  The first two bottles lasted me 2 months and I am now on my second 2 bottles of the Shampoo and Conditioner.  It lasts so long as you only need the tiniest pea sized amount of the products for your hair, and if in doubt I just add more water to foam it up a little.  The other two products which I purchased on the day are the Keratase Resistance Ciment Thermique and the Goldwell Rich Keratin Silk Fluid.  The Keratase Resistance is a heat protectant which I apply to my hair when it is wet from the roots of my hair down to the ends.  The Silk Fluid is ‘extra keratin’ and helps to keep my hair feeling silky and smooth and also helping to make the treatment last as long as possible (also applied when wet).

Since getting the treatment, I have not used my GHD’s once and my hair is looking naturally straight, yet still has its natural volume which I am loving.  The treatment typically can last anywhere between 3-5 months.  I have had it now for 2-3 months and it is still looking and feeling as good as the first day I had it done.  It is also helping me to grow my hair and not have to keep damaging my hair, as the only damage it is currently receiving is a quick blitz with the hair dryer.

I would love to know your ‘hair care’ situation and know if you have had the same treatment before!

Favourite Fragrances Review

When I was a child, I remember going to my mum’s ensuite and always trying on all of her perfumes.  I always love having a scent for every occasion, which I can always have in the back of my mind as my ‘go to’s’; although I do love to try new fragrances all the time!  I have always found that I tend to go for fresh or chypre scents and tend to stay away from the woodier ones.  Also, some brands are just way too strong for me, and tend to give me headaches, even a couple of hours after applying them!  I have put my thoughts together and decided which are my absolute favourites that I currently have on the go and what occasions I wear them for.

Armani Si:

The Armani Si perfume is my evening ‘go to’ perfume which I have re-purchased and have now used for 2 years.  I love the feminine smell which helps give you more confidence and class.  The fragrance was released for women to have the confidence to say ‘yes’ to values that define her life and of course, the ‘Si’ on the bottle translating to yes from Italian (and Spanish).  The subtle gold ring that lines the bottom of the bottle symbolises the promise of eternity.  Armani describe this as the perfect engagement, wedding or anniversary gift, and I couldn’t agree anymore.  It makes a great gift and one which I gave to my mother as an early Christmas present.  If you are thinking of buying this fragrance for someone special, you can even get the bottle engraved with a special message!

This product comes in a variety of sizes:30ml, 50ml, 100ml and on some sites 150ml.  I typically tend to think that it is always worth buying the 100ml with fragrances as they last so long and it is a good buy.  I have bought this perfume in the 100ml and could never get sick of it.  I love that it lingers, so there is no need to re-apply or carry around the perfume in my hand bag.  I can sometimes even smell it in some of my clothing items still when I take it out of the wash!

Experts say that the Top notes of this fragrance are: Sicilian Bergamot, Mandarin Oil, Liquer de Cassis; the Heart notes are: Rose de Mai Absolute, Neroli Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute and the Base notes are:Patchouli Oil, Blond Woods, Amber, Orcanoxâ, Vanille Absolute.  This perfume is timeless and I’m sure it will be one of my favourites for years to come.

Chanel No 5:

What can I say?  This is just a classic.  As Chanel says, this is the essence of femininity! This the the scent that whenever I smell it, I think of my mum.  When I was younger, this was the fragrance that she used almost every day; however, at the time I was so young that I didn’t really wear this, as it is more of a ‘mature woman’ fragrance.

To me, this is the most timeless fragrance anyone can buy.  This is what I wear when I want to feel sophisticated.  Whether that be for an important meeting, interview, or really just any time you need a little confidence boost!  Whenever I’m walking down the street and pass by someone that is wearing this, I can tell straight away as it is so distinctive.  The fragrance comes in a classic minimalist designed bottle, which is hand-sealed with a baudruche film and and the lid is cut into a diamond like shape.  The simplicity of the bottle lets the fragrance really speak for itself, not to mention, it’s Chanels most iconic scent.

There’s a real variety of how you can try this fragrance, as Chanel have a range of items with this scent.  There is the: L’eau Eau De Toilette Spray, Eau De Parfum Spray, the ‘purse versions‘ of the scent, and also the deodorant and body lotion. You can purchase the No.5 fragrance in 7.5ml, 15ml, 30ml, 35ml, 50ml and 100ml.

Experts say that the Top notes of this fragrance are: neroli, ylang-ylang, bergamot, amalfi lemon and aldehydes; the Heart notes are: iris, jasmine, orris root, rose and lily-of-the-valley and the Base notes are: vetiver, musk, sandalwood, patchouli, oak moss, amber, vanille and civetta.  This is a perfume must have!

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium:

Black Opium is my most recent fragrances that my boyfriend purchased for me in Duty Free on our return from Barcelona.  I first smelt this perfume at work, my friend was wearing this and I just knew I had to get my hands on it!  I believe that this one of the most popular scents at the moment and is the ‘current fragrance favourite’ for many of you out there.

When I got the perfume, I was a little confused as to how to actually use the fragrance, as I didn’t realise that it was a ‘pull of lid’, rather than a lid that you squeeze.  As I was getting Black Opium, I was worried that the ‘glitter’ from the bottle would get all over my hands when I used it and just be a bit messy; however, the bottle just has the ‘glitter effect’ printed into the bottle, but also has the texture that glitter would give.  I think it’s so helpful that there’s the clear area in the centre of the perfume, so you can measure how much of the product you have used.

I love the floral scent that you get when you first spray this perfume and the way that when it gets dry it.  This fragrance comes in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml.  I actually have this perfume in the 30ml size, as this was the only size they had and I wanted to try it out before I bought the larger sizes as I was worried it would potentially be too strong and even give me a headache.  I have this in the original scent, but there are also limited edition versions including a hair mist (which I am yet to try)!  I’ve had this for over  month, used it regularly and have only used the tiniest bit.  All you really need is 1 or 2 squirts and you’re good to go, it’s definitely not one of those perfumes that you need to apply a lot of.  To me, this is definitely an evening scent that is ideal for a date night as it is quite a musky, mysterious scent.

Experts say that the Top notes of this fragrance are: Pink pepper, Orange blossom; the Heart notes are: Jasmine, Coffee and the Base notes are: Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedarwood.  I will 100% be re-purchasing this in a larger size!

Marc Jacobs Daisy:

Daisy is a nostalgic scent for me, as this if the first perfume I purchased when I was in my young teens.  I remember always getting this in the gift sets, so that I could also lather on the body lotion and shower gel to smell even more extra!  For me, this is the perfect everyday, daytime fragrance, although I would recommend it for the spring/summer seasons.

I only ever re-purchase the original perfume scent, as the other versions of the daisy perfume are too ‘floral scented’ for me and just don’t smell the same!  This is a ‘young-at-heart’ scent which is ideal for those of you who love those floral notes but also don’t want anything too heavy.  The bottle is sophisticated yet looks slightly vintage, due to the soft rounded edges and the unique shape of the bottle itself.  I love the lid which is in the shape of a few scattered flowers, altogether it’s simplistic, but so effective and classy.

This fragrances comes in 50ml and 100ml; however, you can also purchase the purse versions and the gift sets.  If you love the scent but want to be a bit more adventurous, there is a whole range of products such as Marc Jacobs Daisy Twinkle, Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Marc Jacobs Daisy Kiss Eau, the list goes on!  

Experts say that the Top notes of this fragrance are: Wild Berries, White Violet; the Heart note is: Jasmine Infusion and the Base note is: Sandalwood.  This is a staple in my fragrance collection.

I hope you have enjoyed reading what I enjoy wearing and are my go-to fragrances.  I’d love to hear what your favourite scents are or what you love to wear!