John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Deeper Collection

I love being a brunette.  Like a lot of people I do get bored and like to switch up my hair colour from time to time but I always return to brown.  It was the colour I was born with and it suits me the best.  I have naturally medium to dark brown hair and love the richness of it.  I prefer it on the darker side so I usually use semi-permanent dyes to go a shade or two deeper.  Up until now that was the only way to get a deeper,  richer colour.  Thanks to John Frieda,  I can *possibly* skip the dye and achieve darker, deeper tones with shampoo, conditioner and a darkening treatment!

John Frieda has introduced two new collections in the Brilliant Brunette line, Visibly Deeper and Visibly Brighter.  A line for those who want to lighten their brown and those who want to deepen it. Influenster recently sent me the Visibly Deeper collection (shampoo,  conditioner and treatment) to test and I couldn't be more pleased!

First up,  the shampoo.  It's tinted brown and smells really nice.  It doesn't lather up very much (it does have sulfates) and I found I needed to use a little bit more than I'm used to.  When I rinsed my hair it felt good and was easy to comb through. Typically I always condition after but as per the instructions for the deepening treatment,  I didn't.

The second step in achieving deeper tones is to apply the deepening treatment and leave it in for 5 minutes to a maximum of 10 minutes.  The box shows a before picture of warm, medium brown hair (very similar to my hair colour currently) and a very promising after photo of cool, dark brown hair.  I wanted to achieve this so I decided to wash my hair in the sink and leave the treatment in for as long as possible.  The instructions say to apply a generous amount and then to comb through.  I did just that and waited 10 minutes before hopping in the shower.  So did I get the results I was hoping for?  Not really.

When I stepped out of the shower the only thing that was dyed dark brown were my hands.  The dye clung to dry patches on my hands and took a fair amount of scrubbing to remove.  My hair however looked no different aside from being shiny (sigh).  I didn't give up hope and continued using it. After the third use I noticed a slight richness to my hair.  Nowhere near the before and after pictures on the box though.

Finally,  the conditioner.  It is also tinted brown and smells great.  Since I had to increase the amount of shampoo I used I expected the same for the conditioner but I was wrong.  A little went a long way.  The conditioner left my hair feeling hydrated, soft and shiny.

All in all this line is good although I must admit that I was expecting more from the deepening treatment.  I was hoping to get a much deeper brown and so far have only experienced a slight difference. Perhaps with continued use I will see better results.

Have you tried any of the new Brilliant Brunette products?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

*Products were sent to me complimentary of Influenster and the brand.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Xtava Ionic Hair Dryer #xtcanada

This blow dryer is game changing!  It literally cut the time it takes to dry my hair in half,  which makes it great for busy mornings.  I have medium length,  fine, straight hair and it dried it in a matter of minutes.  I used it on the highest setting to remove most of the moisture and then turned it down to low to style it with a round brush.  Thanks to the ceramic technology my hair not only dried quickly but practically frizz free.

The dryer itself is surprisingly heavy.  It's built very well and seems super sturdy,  which is good because I'm prone to dropping hair dryers,  brushes and styling products (I often do my hair before finishing my coffee).  It is also very sleek and sexy.  Yup,  this blow dryer looks good ;)

Speaking of good looks,  the box it came in is very pretty.  Unfortunately it was really dusty and a bit scratched up.  Total shame too because it's so nice and I would've loved to keep it.

The only downside to this dryer (and it's not major) is that the attachment that comes with it is tricky to put on.  Initially it took me a few minutes to get it on but I've since been able to get it on quicker.

I am very happy with this dryer.  Not only does it look good but it outperforms many other dryers on the market and is certainly comparable to the salon brands.

For more information or to purchase your own,  click here

*Product sent to me for free for testing purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own.

DorMauri Tea Tree Mineral Clay Facial Cleanser

To be honest I was a bit skeptical of this soap at first.  Bar Soap is usually drying and never in a million years would I use it on my face.  But in the spirit of trying something new I took the plunge and applied to test it!

This is the type of product I wouldn't go out of my way to buy without trying first so I'm thankful that Social Nature chose me to try it for free!  Spoiler alert!  I love it!

It has a mild tea tree oil scent that isn't at all overpowering and little pieces of clay in it that work wonders at exfoliating.  It fits comfortably in the palm of my hand which makes it super easy to use.

I like to run one side under water (this avoids it from slipping all over the place) and then run it across my face.  It lathers nicely and really cleans!  It also rinses off easily unlike most bar soaps.  I was worried it would be too drying but it's not at all.  My face is left feeling smooth and supple.  No tightness and no residue.

Have you tried any DorMauri cleansers? Is it a product you would like to try?  Would you like to get a 30% off discount? Click here or here to shop DorMauri's Mineral Clay Cleansers and enter code CLNSR30 

*Product sent to me for free via Social Nature.  All opinions expressed are my own

Dave Lackie and Shiseido's #ShareBeauty Event

This past Wednesday I was fortunate enough to attend one of Dave Lackies coveted VIP follower dinners.  This event was hosted by Elaine Shigeishi,  general manager of Shiseido Canada in honour of their new #ShareBeauty campaign.  We were the very the first in the world to learn about this new campaign and honestly I was blown away.  But before I get into it let me walk you through my experience!

The event was held at the stunning Thompson hotel located in downtown Toronto.  I was greeted by Dave Lackie in the lobby and was escorted up to a gorgeous rooftop bar.  The view was amazing!

I was a bit late (downtown traffic - sigh) so I set out to find some familiar (and not so familiar faces). There was an open bar and no shortage of excited conversation.  Elaine Shigeishi was greeting and chatting with us all.  She is such an amazing woman - down to earth,  friendly and genuinely sweet. After the guests arrived we took the elevator down to the screening room where the magic happened!


Walking into the screening room I was amazed at how beautiful the room looked.  It was a small theatre and at each seat was a placemat,  mini box of popcorn (too cute!) and a small flower arrangement.

After saving my seat I set out to explore the two stations at the front of the room. One was skincare and the other makeup.

At the makeup station we received a one-on-one consultation and foundation match.
I've been in the market for a new foundation so I was over the moon when I was told we would all be receiving one. Amazing!  At the skincare table we were introduced to some new products from the IBUKI line - a beauty sleeping mask and quick fix mist.  I've become a little obsessed with sleeping masks lately so this was beyond exciting!  I'm new to the world of facial sprays so this was a wonderful chance to learn more.  There was also a self serve wine table (hello!) and cans of pop for us to drink.  Dave and Shiseido sure know how to throw an event ;)

We were then invited to help ourselves to a picnic (buffet) style dinner.  The food was amazing and unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the amazing spread. After filling my plate I went to my seat and patiently awaited the presentation.

Elaine asked us a simple question - what does beauty mean to you?  We responded with words like confidence, strength and individuality.  Not a single person mentioned a physical trait.  This was a beautiful segway to the campaign.  Beauty isn't only about makeup or fashion.  It's a feeling,  it's memories and it's about paying it forward. I remember getting ready with my mom as a kid.  I couldn't tell you what we did to our hair or what we were wearing but I can tell you that I felt loved, important and above all special!  I remember bonding.  This is what share beauty is all about!

We watched clips of real people telling their stories.  Let me tell you tears were shed!  There was a wonderful story of how an aunt stepped in to take care of her niece when her sister passed away.  To our surprise,  they were both there with us as special guests!

After the presentation we were given an envelope with a post card that simply said 'You Are Beautiful To Me Because..' which we were then encouraged to think of someone special and tell them why they're beautiful to us.  I of course chose my mom and got to writing.  After leaving my message I put the card into the envelope alongside a sample of Shiseido's Ultimune,  wrote her address on the front and sealed the package.  We were then told to place our envelopes in the most adorable mailbox to be delivered courtesy of Shiseido :)

Last but certainly not least we were presented with a parting gift!  We received a beautiful eco-friendly,  reusable bad with an IBUKI Sleeping Mask,  an IBUKI Quick Fix Mist and a bottle of the new Synchro Skin foundation!  We also received another #ShareBeauty envelope to send off to someone special.  I will be posting in depth about these wonderful gifts soon!

I had an amazing time,  with amazing people and I am forever grateful to Dave Lackie,  Elaine Shigeishi and the whole Shiseido team.


Once this campaign launches you can go to the Shiseido counter at Hudsons Bay and send a personalized postcard to a loved one telling them why they're beautiful to you. Shiseido will mail it for you with a sample of Ultimune.  It's completely free, no purchase necessary.  A wonderful way to #ShareBeauty :)