Expert reviews: Refreshing products for winter

Sooooo is winter over yet? Because like, this windy miserable weather is getting old.

No, only halfway? Okay, that’s fine. Totally fine…

But seriously, if we didn’t have new beauty products to try and review, we don’t know how we’d get through these dreary months. Here are four helping us to make it through…

Schwarzkopf LIVE Salon Colour Refresher

bh’s Caitlin says:

I’ve recently moved over to the dark side, swapping my creamy blonde locks for a rich, dark brown hue. As anyone who has ever gone from light to dark will tell you, it’s no easy feat. With every wash, my hair becomes an ever so slightly lighter shade of brown and after just a few weeks, my Bella Hadid-inspired shade turned more Gisele Bündchen than I was initially after. In comes the Schwarzkopf LIVE Salon Colour Refresher, a mousse that you apply in the shower to refresh faded locks. I’m usually pretty scared of dying my own hair, but this product was super easy to use. You simply shampoo your hair as normal, then apply a good dollop to your strands and work through with a comb. As I’ve got super thick, long hair I probably used two or three pumps to ensure my entire head was covered. Then you leave it on for three minutes, and wash out till the water runs clear. The end result certainly did not disappoint as my hair was noticeably darker, at least two to three shades. It was also super soft, and smelt delicious. I used the dark brown shade, and the only thing I’d say is it definitely has red undertones, so beware of this if a red-tinged brown is not what you’re after.

Opalescence Go Melon 10%

bh’s Beth says:

I’ve been trialling Opalescence Go Melon 10% for a month now and would recommend it for those who are after a more affordable teeth whitening experience than ones on offer at the dentist. The DIY kit contains 10 upper and lower trays (20 trays in total) which are preloaded with the whitening gel solution. The trays are encased in soft plastic cases which make them easy to place over and fit to your teeth. You then gently pull away the cases, leaving the inner trays stuck to your teeth. I recommend applying the trays to your teeth in front of a mirror to ensure a neat fit. The one time I applied them without a mirror they ended up sitting a bit wonkily, which lead to my teeth cutting through part of the upper tray and the solution leaking a bit around my gums, which wasn’t particularly pleasant (not to mention a bit of a waste!).

Opalescence recommends wearing the trays for 60 to 90 minutes at a time. I found this easiest to do when I was watching TV or doing housework – you just need to be distracted so you aren’t playing with the trays (which feel a lot like mouthguards) too much. The first time I wore the trays I left them on for 90 minutes, but this proved a bit too long for me, as I experienced some sensitivity around my gum area. I reduced the time to 60 minutes for the next treatment and experienced no sensitivity from then on, which was great. It’s worth noting that the trays have a non-offensive melon flavour, which makes wearing them for the necessary time easier.

Now, to the results…

Admittedly I didn’t have significant staining on my teeth, but prior to starting this treatment my teeth were definitely a bit yellow and not as bright as I would have liked – I blame my coffee addiction! After using the trays seven times, my teeth did look a little bit brighter and whiter. It wasn’t a significant change, but considering this is a DIY treatment, I wasn’t expecting extreme results. It’s also worth noting that I continued to drink coffee in between treatments – maybe I would have seen more significant results if I’d given it up!

If you’re thinking of trying this whitening treatment, I recommend making sure you leave the solution on your teeth after removing the trays, then scrubbing it in a bit with your toothbrush before rinsing and brushing with toothpaste, as the brand says this will help boost the whitening process. I also always brushed my teeth really well before applying the treatment (and after, as per the instructions), which definitely contributed to the look and feel of cleaner, brighter teeth – an important step.

RELATED: What on earth is a teeth mask?

Clinique 2-in-1 Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer

bh’s Michelle says:

Full confession: I’m a bit of a foundation junkie, and have a drawer full of options to choose from, depending on the coverage I want and how my skin is behaving. I recently rediscovered Clinique’s 2-in-1 Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in my bag of tricks and honestly, couldn’t remember why I’d ever stopped using it. As the name suggests, the formula is like a cross between a foundation and a concealer, combining the smooth spreadability of the former with the buildable coverage of the latter. It has a jumbo-sized doe foot applicator, which makes it equally easy to spread over large areas and to dot onto smaller blemishes. Who doesn’t love a multitasker – right? With its natural-looking finish (not too dewy, not too matte) and no-fuss application, this is an excellent foundation for everyday wear. I also like to throw a bottle in my handbag, so I’m prepared for any complexion situation the day might hold.

LYCON Soothing Cream

bh’s Sam says:

If you’re a fan of products that smell like strawberry lollies, then you will absolutely love this moisturiser. It’s pink in colour too, which you can see through the clear and simple packaging. The smell is quite strong and the texture quite thick, so I thought it would be quite rich like a body butter. However, I was beyond surprised when I applied it to my skin and it was slurped up almost instantly. It disappeared and felt instantly cooling – it reminded me a bit of aloe vera gel but creamy and without the sticky residue. So although I personally don’t like the sweet smell, I continued to use it because it was so fast absorbing! I found the soothing effect was quite good for my skin after having super hot showers (I can’t help it in winter!) and noticed that my legs in particular were a lot smoother and less scaly – although this could also be because I’m usually slack with applying moisturiser regularly. Overall if you come across this, give it a smell and if you do like it, definitely try it because it’s one of the fastest absorbing body creams I’ve come across.

Have you tried any of the products above? If not, which one would you most like to try?