Review: Alva Rhassoul Volcanic Mineral Clay

With college worries stressing me (and my skin) out of late, I have been searching high and low for the perfect skincare product to rid me of my (visible) woes. It is for this reason that I decided to test our Alva's Rhassoul Mineral Clay.

Alva Rhassoul is a skincare range created to "cleanse problem skin". The selected ingredients are specifically aimed at blemished or combination skin, that gets oily very quickly. The MyPure website lists the following benefits of Alva Rhassoul Mineral Clay:

♥ Skin Appearance Improves

♥ Spots and Blackheads Disappear

♥ Skin Elasticity Increases

♥ Deep Pore Cleansing

♥ Effective Cleansing

It also states that this product "delivers valuable minerals into the skin whilst eliminating dirt, toxins and infection causing bacteria. It is perfect for those who want to make their own deep cleansing skincare products". This product is well suited to people with sensitive skin and allergies, but works very well on oily, acne-prone skin.

Directions for Use

1. Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water to a bowl.

2. Add powder to the water, stirring slowly until a gel/paste is formed

3. Add essential oils (optional)

4. Apply to the skin with fingers

5. Leave for a few minutes and wash off with warm water.

Having used this product several times, I noticed that my skin felt much more soft and supple. I also felt squeaky clean and super moisturised, without being greasy/oily. However, the process was pretty messy and the product doesn't look or smell that great - it's not an unpleasant scent, just a bit strange. I didn't use essential oils in mine, but I would advise trying that out... it might make the scent a little more pleasant.

Personally, I found that the clay mask was tough to wash off and after two uses, I resorted to applying this product pre-shower so that I could scrub it off properly, without making too much mess. I noticed that my skin felt a bit flushed after using it, but that could have been as a result of the excessive scrubbing and showering.

Overall, I liked the results that this product provided, but there are tonnes of face masks out there that smell better and are easier to use and wash off.

If you want to read more about this product, or to purchase your own box, you can check out the MyPure website.

Rating: 6/10

(ps: my camera is being bratty... I will try to upload the photos tomorrow)

Please note: I was sent this product free of charge, but was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own - they are completely honest and unbiased. I am not affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies.

Review: Lovea Detangling Leave-In Conditioner

This month, the lovely lads and lassies at MyPure gave us bloggers a wonderful opportunity - to select our own products to review for you to peruse and, perhaps, purchase. This was utterly enjoyable, but I found myself eagerly scouring the website, wanting to try almost everything.

Having tried multiple Lovea products already, and having yet to be disappointed by them, I decided that I would start my quest there. The first product that I simply HAD to try was their Detangling Leave-In Conditioner.

I am an obsessive hair straightener - when I add up the damage my poor hair has received from blowdrying, straightening, curling, dying and back-combing, I'm surprised that I'm not bald... yet.  I fry my once-luscious locks almost every day, leaving them dry, damaged and depressed.

Enter conditioner.

Conditioner, especially leave-in conditioner, nurses harmed hair back to health, providing shine and silky texture, without making you feel greasy. Leave-in conditioner can also help protect your hair from all your vicious styling tools - however, you should still use a heat protector, just in case.

As with all Lovea products, the directions are in French, but I can put my French skills to good use and give you a quick synopsis:

"This Leave-In Conditioner, enriched with organic Argan Oil from Morocco, detangles and restores brilliance to dull, lifeless hair. The spray is light, non-greasy and will not weigh your hair down. It can be used every day, on wet or dry hair. Directions for Use: Spray all over the hair, either when wet or dry, then comb"

The first thing you will notice about this product is the incredible scent, which reminds me of summer holidays at the seaside. I used this product almost every day for two weeks, both on wet and dry hair:

Wet Hair

I applied this to towel-dried hair and combed it through. I noticed that my hair felt much softer than usual and was virtually tangle free, which is a rarity.

Dry Hair

I applied this once or twice to dry hair, and though I was not floored by the results, I have to admit that it added some extra shine to my hair (and made it smell divine!!)

You can read more about it, or pick up a bottle of it, over on the MyPure website, for €6.48.

Rating: 9/10

Please note: I was sent this product free of charge, but was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own - they are completely honest and unbiased. I am not affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies.