Schwarzkopf Brilliance (89 Bitter Sweet Chocolate)

I've never tried this Schwartzkopf hair tint before even though this is a brand that I like. 

 

The package contains a large colour tube, a bottle with the developer, a generous tube with post-colour treatment, a pair of average plastic gloves and the instructions leaflet. All of this is average for most DIY hair colours I've tried. As I always do, after mixing the colour I used my professional colouring bowl and comb to get the best possible results. 

 

The quantity of product is more than enough for long hair if you want to do both regrowth and cover the rest  of the hair to unify the colour. 

 

I followed the instructions and the resulting colour was not as lovely as in the package photo, but it looks natural and nice. I left it on the roots and the rest o of the hair the time recommended in the leaflet. I would normally leave it longer on the roots as I have many thick rebel greys, but I didn't do it this time. The result is that the colour covered my greys but not enough to make the regrowth the same colour of the rest of the hair. It would have needed more time to fully achieve those results. 

 

The conditioner tube was quite large and it can be used for at least two washes if you have long hair, or three if you have it short. However, my hair is really dry at the moment, so I used it all. It detangled my hair beautifully and left it soft and shiny. 

 

I would say that I prefer other colouring brands, but this is still a good economic option. If your greys are many and thick, wavy or curly you might need to adjust the time to get a consistent uniform colour. 

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Aymorder 10-piece Nail Art Liner Brush Set

I was lured by this 10-piece set of nail art brush liners due to the variety of sizes and the good price. I risked the purchase as they could have been terrible. But they are not! Sure, they aren't a professional artist set, but I didn't want to spend a little fortune on a professional set. I wanted this to start getting familiar with this type of brush and to work on art journal and small paper projects. They're befitting.

 

I use them with acrylic paints/inks and they work well overall. They would have been better if they had slightly thicker bristles but, you know, these were a bargain and are not intended for artwork. They make good long flat and curvy lines with ease but, due to the bristles not being strong enough, sometimes the lines aren't clean. It might be me, as I'm just getting used to them. They're perfect for people with small hands and they're good quality despite the bargain price and the fact that they were intended for nail art not painting.  These brushes work better on flat paper (e.g. art journal pads) or on surfaces that have none or little texture (e.g. cold pressed watercolour paper).  

The brushes are easy to clean and can be kept in water for a long time without worry. The 'crystal' handle material hasn't deteriorated at all despite my tendency to forget brushes in water all night or for several days. The synthetic bristles get bent when left in water for long, but they recover their shape easily by drying them out with a paper towel and pressing them back into their flat shape with my fingers. 

 

I haven't used these for nail art, so I cannot comment on how they work for that purpose.

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Sally Hansen Nail polisher remover (Strengthening Pink)

Nothing fancy or hoo-ha about this nail polish remover. It does the job, it does not smell too bad despite being acetone based, and removes thick coats of paint with ease. If I wanted to strengthen my nails, I'd rather use a purpose-made nail strengthener. I don't think this NPR was designed to strengthen your nails, just not to further damage weak or flaky nails by adding lanolin and hydrolysed wheat protein. So, the result is that this NPR is gentler on my nails than others. Good-priced and it does the job.   

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Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails Natural

This is a nail strengthener designed to treat flaky and pealing nails. It can be used on its own, but applying 2-3 coats on your nails, which is what the brand recommends. However, I mostly use it base coat for my manicures and on its own on my toe nails. It has a beautiful shine to it, with a slight tint, if that can be said. When I applied on its own it my nails are harder to touch than when I use a normal base. Not sure if this will result on my nails being actually stronger, but they are better covered and protected and they don't flake as much.  

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L'Oréal Excellence (Brown 5.0)

I've never used L'Oréal  Excellence to tint my hair mostly because it's more expensive than my usual brands. Having used another brands of DIY hair colour, I can easily compare what this package has in it, the tinting experience, and the results.
 
THE PACKAGE
The package contains a cream colour tub, a bottle of developer, hyaluronic acid shampoo and conditioning mask,  a pair of average of plastic gloves (which I hate) and a very useful instructions leaflet (great presentation and organisation of the information and illustrations, font size, etc.). Unlike other DIY hair colour packages I've used, this also includes a tube of shampoo and a comb applicator, which can be attached to the developer bottle to apply the colour directly on the hair.
 
THE TINTING EXPERIENCE
I used the comb applicator and I didn't find it useful  for me, but I'll keep it as a mark-making tool for my art practice. I think it might be good if you have a Pixie haircut or just straight hair.
 
I emptied the bottle into a professional tinting bowl and used a professional tinting brush to get the best results.

Due to this colour shade being a bit lighter than my previous colour, I left the colour on the roots nearly an hour and about 20 minutes on the rest of the hair. I did NOT get any itchy or burning sensation during the long application.  
 
The colour combo is creamy so it does not drip and spreads beautifully. Despite my long thick hair, I had enough product to cover all of it and even have some leftovers. That’s great because there is nothing worse that being short of colour when tinting at home.
 
I removed the excess colour once the time was up and it washed easily. To be honest,  I initially thought that the shampoo tube was too small for my long thick hair. But, surprise!, the quantity was perfect; it's a fabulous creamy shampoo that leathers beautifully. The conditioner is also fab, with just a bit of product being necessary to detangle and soften my hair. I had more than half bottle left for another week at least.  The results were a shiny healthy-looking hair. 

 

THE RESULTS

Did the product cover my greys in full? Yes and it also lightened up a bit my hair. The colour looks beautiful and is true to the box photo.

 

Do I prefer this colour or the other ones I've used in the past? I'd say the results are very good with all the brands I've used before, but I thought the colouring mix was also creamier, more nourishing, spread better and was not irritant at all.  

Would I buy this again? Totally. I'll be looking up for discounts and flash sales to get the best possible price. Yet, I understand why this is always more expensive than other brands I use.

 

MIND

This product has both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. 

UPDATE 13/2/25

I've used this product several times already and, although the colour is lovely, this tint has done what others never did, dried my hair badly. So, mind the time you leave the colour on on the hair because you won't notice anything if you use it just for regrowth, but your hair will be destroyed when you use the colour for longer than mentioned in the box (which is necessary for me to fully cover my white hair).

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Aimeili Natural Nail & Cuticle Oil (15ml)

I bought this to treat my cuticles and nails, which suffer from my constant use of acrylic paint. I also wanted it to treat my toes cuticles that are really dry in Summer and/or between pedicures. 
 
This is a small bottle of 100% wheat germ oil, no other preservative or additive added.  No scent, either, at least to my nose.    
 
I first tried this oil on one of my big toe cuticle and the lower part or the toe skin as it looked really dry, ugly, and hard. I've been brushing a bit of this oil for several days and I can see a noticeable difference. On my finger nails is even better; I rarely have manicures done, as I do those my own, so cuticle oil really helps any dry skin to look naturally good.    

Not a fan of the brush, though, which is a bit stiff and plasticky.
 
I've never heard of this brand before, but the fact that the product has provided good results, is reasonably priced and it does what's meant to do without any chemicals added, has put Aimeili on my radar. Not a fancy product recommended by influencers or pop-stars, but it works.

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L'Oreal Elvive Moisturising & Plumping Hyaluron Plump Moisture Mask, 300ml

I was lured by the discounted priced and the hyaluronic acid in it. I know this product is widely used in face creams and serums and the results are noticeable skin wise. I don't exactly how this is achieved on the hair as hair is follicle not skin, though.
 
I don't get what the packaging means by "plumping". Like volumising? Thickening? My hair was a volumised after using it as it was before. My hair is wavy and thick, so perhaps people with fine sparse hair might have a different experience and results.

I don't particularly like the scent, the jelly like texture, the colouring added to it, or the fact that I had to use a lot of product to untangle my long hair and it does not untangle as well as other masks from other brand that I use. It didn't feel it was as  nourishing either, not even compared to other varieties from the same brand and price range.
 
On the other hand, my hair looked very shiny and healthy looking after use, and the price tag is really good.
 
Not my fav hair mask, but a good one when I'm on a budget. 

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Australian Wholesale Oils Certified Organic Avocado Oil 100 ml

I was a bit worried that this oil might not be organic or a mixture. However, it is both organic and 100% pure oil.
 
This oil is very runny and has the avocado natural green colour.  It has no specific fragrance just the oil natural scent. It is not greasy, so it absorbs well. I use it to remove hair colour stains from my skin (after tinting my hair or eyebrows, for example), to remove the same colour from my glasses frames, to apply it on irritated spots on my hands, or as a treatment when I notice that my face or hands skin is dull. It works well in all cases. I don't use it as a normal moisturiser but more like a treatment.   
 
The design of the bottle is really pretty and classy. However, it's plastic, which is a huge let down to me as I like containers that are environmentally friendly. I love the pump system, but, in all honesty, it is a bit "squirty" at times, at least with this oil. The green oil colour stain clothes.
 
Overall, a good value for money and a good product. 

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L'Oréal Magic Retouch, 75ml, Dark Brown

I use this product regularly, between professional tinting  and when my thick very-noticeable greys pop up all rebel. The product is very easy to spray and has a good focus sprayer. I usually spray it twice; I let the first coat dry and then apply again. Result, no grays! This product is especially good for the part line, not as much for temples or hair line as it can stain my skin. However, I easily remove those by rubbing a bit of beauty oil on the stained spot .  
 
The product can stain your clothes, so I usually put a plastic cape on my shoulders. I don't apply this when I'm dressed to go out as unnoticeable unpredictable drops might stain them and ruin them if unprotected.

The product washes out completely with a single shampooing.

I always apply this product with a surgical mask on, because it has some residual "vapours" after spraying.

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Eylure Dybrow permanent brow tint kit (dark brown)

This is the first time I use this brand and kit and I will definitely buy it again. I can't but compare it with another brand very similar product (1000Hour) that I have been using for years, and Eylure wins by far. It follows the same procedure for eyebrow tinting: mix 1 cm of colouring cream with 3 drops of developer, mix well, apply with the provided wand, wait 15 minutes and voila. While the 1000Hour kit requires me to have the product 30 minutes on to cover the greys on my eyebrows and it does not cover them well, this one does this perfectly in 15 minutes and greys are gone. Dark brown colour is true to the colour.
 
I had no reaction to the product at all, and it didn't itch or burn when applied. I have used this dye with some greys showing on my temples and small patches on my hair line, and works beautifully as well.
 
Instructions of use come in leaflet written in different languages.
 
The photos on the product page don't reflect the reality of the product I got. The external packaging is identical but not the internal. The developer is a small bottle with a liquid, not a cream tube and the plastic container is also different, as the one I got has not rest for the application wand. 

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Toni & Guy Strengthplex Bond Repair Hair Mask 285 ml

Tony & Guy have made it again. I have used another mask by the same brand for years now. I had never tried this bond repair mask before, but it has become an instant favourite due to it's creaminess, the fact that a small quantity works wonders on my long wavy dry hair, it untangles my hair beautifully, nourishes it, and my hair looks amazing afterwards. Amazing value for money as well, at least when I purchased it. I will buy it again for sure.

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1000 HOUR Hair Mascara, Dark Brown, 26 g

I've been using this product for years. It is meant to be used to mask showy greys on the part line or temples area, but I mostly use it as eyebrow groomer and tint. As such is one of my fav beauty staples. The colour I use is dark brown, however, the last dark brown container I got before this one differs both in container colour and tint colour. This container looks more black than brown, but 'dark brown' is clearly written on it. I thought it would be just the container. However, the tint inside is as dark, and looks more  black than brown. You can see  my photos showing the difference in tint and colour between the last one I bought and this one, both supposedly the same tint from the same brand. As my hair is really very dark, this tint does blend well, but my eyebrows aren't as dark and this tint makes them look too dark so I have to apply it and wipe it off a bit. Overall a good product, but I think this is not really dark brown and it really annoys me that the colour is so different from my previous dark brown bottles.

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Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original, 100g

I use Vaseline quite often for different purposes, and none of them is  to care for my lips, which is what most people associate this with. I find Vaseline really great to minimise or treat skin chafing and itchiness due to irritation or skin medical conditions that dry off my skin. My elderly mother used to use it on her legs in winter, as her skin would be super-dry due to heating and a medical condition and really soothed her itchiness. I use it more like a treatment not like a day-to-day cream. I don't use it as hand cream because I've found that it's too 'greasy', but I use it on the top of my hands or around my finger nails if there is  any sort of irritation.
 
Petroleum jelly is the main ingredient of Vaseline. Similar creams by other brands are labelled in fancier ways, focus on the 'dermatologically tested', charge me double. I prefer Vaseline because they're honest about what's in the jar, they're dermatologically tested (tested by my skin too) and the price is always affordable.

Good value for money, as a tiny bit of product goes a long way.
 
I love the new packaging, which looks nicer and more modern than the old jar.

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OPI Rapidry Spray, 55ml

I love O.P.I products so I had great expectations rethis product as I paint my nails myself at home, sometimes in a hurry before an outing or going to work.

The instructions of use on the bottle back are in a minuscule font size. It says to mist over the nails 45 seconds after applying the last coat. But last coat of what, of enamel or the top coat? Or is this product to replace the top coat? No indication of how much this speeds up the process or how long it takes to dry after application. Ain't sure if it works just with O.P.I nail polishes because the one I had on my nails was good quality polish but not this brand.

The bottle has a good spray system and the mist comes out easily.
 
I've tried the product twice. The first time, I didn't mind the watch, but it was perhaps a minute over the last coat application. I didn't see any speeding up in the drying time after application.  I didn't apply the mist on my other hand, but used my hair drier on a cold setting. The results were indistinguishable. Besides, one of my nails with the applied O.P.I.spray smudged; to me, that's not working.  
 
The second time I tried it, I also did a double testing. I sprayed some of the nails without top coat and they responded well, as they dried a little bit quicker than usual. I also sprayed other nails that had a top coat on, and these ones  took longer to dry, and there was barely any difference with those nails where I had applied top coat but not this product on top.  In short, it worked way better when I applied it directly on the enamel not on the top coat. Perhaps the product is to be used as top coat, but that's not clear anywhere.
 
In all honesty, I won't be buying this product again as the speeding up of the drying is so little that it's not worth my money.  Besides, the bottle came 3/4 full. I thought that it might be an used bottle, but I've noticed that everyone had the same issue with their bottles, so that's the company's fault and a rip-off because the product isn't cheap by any means, even when discounted.  

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Toni & Guy Damage Repair Mask, 200ml

TThis is my fav mask by Tony & Guy and one of my top-3 fav hair masks in the market. It works wonderfully on my tinted hair and it  untangles my long thick wavy hair easily. It is very creamy, so it really penetrates my hair if  I leave it 5 minutes on, something I do when tinting myself with DIY haircolor. The results are great, as my hair looks hydrated, nourished, healthy and very shiny without any grease or heaviness. Many people ask me which hair products I use to have such a healthy-looking hair and this is the mask I usually use when the question pops up. The product lasts me quite a bit as a small amount of product does the job and goes a long way. The scent is kind of neutral to me, not strong or very gender-oriented, something I like. I don't mind paying a bit of extra more money for the jar because the results on my hair are amazing. On the other hand, I usually stock the product when it is heavily discounted, so it's not that much more expensive than than average or bad quality brands from major brands.

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L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Coconut Mask 300ml

This L'Oréal  mask untangles my hair easily; it has a creamy consistency and spreads easily trough my long hair. My hair looks shiny and healthy after use. Love the coconut scent. Not the best mask I've tried, but very good and the large tub and good price are added bonuses.

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Clairol Nice 'N Easy Permanent Hair Colour 4G Natural Dark Golden Brown

This hair colour is really great. Easy to apply, good quantity to fully cover my roots and part of my hair, and the results always get me compliments on how healthy and shiny my hair looks. 

 

The package includes a treatment that really rounds up the colouring process and gives me the shine that I love so much. The golden bit is great because, although it doesn't show when I first apply the colour (what you see is a nice dark brown), it shows when the colour fades away. This is good because it holds onto my greys and they look light brown not white. 

 

The colour lasts me on about 3 weeks due to the fact that I have very white grey hair and I don't wash it every day. 

 

Although my hair looks super healthy and shiny after application, the truth is that it dries it off considerably due to having Hydrogen Peroxide as one of the ingredients.

 

For the rest, this is my usual DIY preferred colouring between salon colouring.

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Rimmel London Nail Nurse Base & Top Coat 5 in 1

This is one of those products that I buy when I travel or I'm on a budget. It does the job quite nicely for a fraction of the price I pay for other brands. It is not as good as others I buy, but it's good quality nevertheless. The bottle design is simple and effective as it has the average quantity of product but isn't as bulky as others.

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Mavala Switzerland Mini Nail Polish Baghdad, 5 ml

I've bought Mavala mini nail polishes before and I love the travel size and the quality of the product. However, this item has been a great disappointment. To start with, the photo is misleading as the colour is not orange but an orange-ish pink (see my photo); most importantly, the colour is quite translucent and, even if I use two coats, the results are quite neutral. If I had been looking for a neutral pink I might have been happy with this colour and texture, but I was looking for an opaque orange as per the colour in the photo and I got neither.

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MOR Boutique Little Luxuries Lychee Flower Hand Cream 50ml

This is a wonderful lychee-flower scented hand cream with a long-lasting scent that can be used as everyday perfume. It has a semi-liquid texture, so it absorbs well and quickly. It's very moisturising. and it doesn't leave a greasy residue; after using it, my skin feels velvety. The packaging is lovely and luxurious, as well.

The main problem with the cream, to me, is that the scent is overwhelming; it masks my perfume, and it gets to my nose and throat lingering there for too long. The cream is moisturising but not enough to fix my very dry hands issues; said differently, moisturising level is medium. Besides, the back of the tube has the description and ingredients list in a very small gold lettering, so there is barely any contrast against the pink background and it cannot be read without a magnifying glass. I won't buy it again.

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