Review: Aussie '3 Minute Miracle' Reconstructor For Damaged Hair

Okayyyyy.. so a couple of weeks ago I was brimming with energy and couldn't shut up about how I was going to blog every single day of March as a little challenge to myself. How did that work out for me? Well I've just skipped four days ..so not too great! I've had a lot on my plate recently and thought that blogging would be a productive distraction and some time well spent taken out of a busy day, but in reality I was just trying to juggle one too many things and eventually crashed and burned - Ooops.

Intro aside, today's review is of my absolute number one favourite hair mask and it's cheap as chips and a widely available one from Aussie. There is a slight variant of the price of this depending on where you buy it from, but I think it's standard RRP could be £4.99. Around different supermarkets and stores such as Boots and Superdrug, however, you will frequently be able to find offers such as '2 for £7' or '3 for £10' across the Aussie line so you're guaranteed to grab yourself a bargain.

It's not just price of this deep treatment that makes this a winning product for me, it also has very impressive genuine results on hair condition too and can give much more expensive and higher end products a run for their money! The results may not be a permanent reparative solution for damaged and split ends of the hair, but it definitely offers a brilliant short term fix. '3 minute miracle' is quite an apt name for this as it only needs to be left on the hair for a couple of minutes after washing as usual and then it is rinsed away to reveal hair that has had a brand new lease of life breathed into it - just what we all need from time to time!

It gives exactly the results that you would expect; soft, smooth, manageable, 'silky', and just general healthy conditioned hair, but this one had an added bonus of having the most amazing smell thrown in the mix too! Most people will be familiar with the scent of Aussie products, but it's a super sweet and yummy bubblegum fragrance that fills the whole bathroom and lingers on the hair after use too.

Of course, the packaging of this bottles makes it not the most convenient for travel (it doesn't have a real lid at all, just a squeezey hole in the bottom), but I don't think that a deep treatment for my hair is top of my list for things to pack for a trip away, so that doesn't matter too much anyway! And also, be careful if you have butter fingers because it doesn't fare too well if you drop it. 

There's a couple of other variants of Aussie's 3 minute masks, such a 'Take The Heat', 'Frizz Remedy', 'Colour', 'Luscious Long', and their newest release: 'Miracle Shine' too. I've tried the 'frizz remedy' mask before too and found it to have very similar results to this reconstructing mask, although the reconstructing mask seemed slightly more intense. It's personal preference which mask you feel is most suited to your hair but I doubt there's a whole lot of difference between the formulas and this one never, ever lets me down!

Whether you're on a budget or not, if you're looking for something to perk your hair up then this is one to give a try!

Monthly Favourites | November

I know that there's still a week left to go of November but I'm going to be a busy bee over the next two weeks so this is the only chance I've really got to put this post up and I love doing favourites posts so didn't want to miss it out! Here's what I've really been loving recently:
 

 

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Conditioning Treatment

I'm quite late to the party with love and appreciation for Aussie products. I've always heard people bang on about them but just never expected that I'd fall for the hype. Well, one day I tried and tested and now I am madly in love. I think the scent of their products is a real winning factor for me - so sweet and bubblegum-y - I really like it. Then there's the absolute bargain price of them and most products can almost always be found for under a fiver and the quality isn't at all compromised with the price as the standard of these is a lot higher than some expensive high end brands I've tried before! The first time that I used this reconstructor mask my hopes weren't all that high, I left it on my mid-lengths and ends for 5-10 minutes while I sat in the bath and then rinsed away. Almost instantly I could feel a difference in my hair and I have quite literally never used a conditioning mask that has impressed me so much and left my hair feeling so amazing. For the next three days I just could not stop touching and stroking my hair - LOVE.
 

Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner

There's no frills with this one; Simple really does just live up to its brand name. I needed to get myself an affordable, everyday use toner to sweep over my face morning and night to remove all those last traces of dirt and make up and really freshen up and this bottle does the trick absolutely perfectly! I'm itching to try the rest of Simple's skincare line now after loving this so much. Imagine a really soft and soothing, moisturing water that you wipe over your face to make your skin feel clean and refreshed? Yep! It's fragrance free with no nasty chemicals so doesn't irrate or sting the skin in any way and for just over £2 it is the perfect step for inbetween cleansing and moisturising.

 

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Something else that I'm late to the party of love and obsession for is Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection Concealer - seriously, what was my life like before this?! I cannot believe that for years and years I used pricer alternatives when this gem has been sitting in Superdrug the whole time for less than £5! Since purchasing this every single day that my make-up has been done this has been an essential part of my routine; not just for blemishes at all as I also find it good for under eye circles with my shade being so light, and really good for any areas that need extra coverage. I normally just swipe a few small streaks across my cheeks and around my nose then gently blend before putting on foundation and I really don't ever want to be without this now! It's a thick and creamy high coverage concealer that lasts and lasts all day - 'Lasting Perfection' is a really appropriate name. I'm curious if the matching foundation is of the same high standard ..anyone know?

 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Good old Rimmel Wake Me Up! I did a post on this a couple of days ago about how I thought I'd found a replacement for this trusty, amazing foundation until I rediscovered my love for it and realised that it can't be beaten - especially not for the price anyway! The post I wrote on this can be found here (link) and I basically just gush about how much I love this. Really affordable, good quality, high coverage, buildable, luminating and long lasting foundation - Nothing to complain about and this has been my foundation of choice every single day.

 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Primer

Again, something that I've recently dedicated a post to is The Body Shop's Tea Tree Pore Minimiser / Primer and you can find the quick review that I wrote here (link). This is highly comparable to the ever so famous Benefit Pore-Fessional but this is a much more purse friendly option at just £7.50 instead of £23! It's basic and simple what this product aims to do and it acts as a base for your foundation (or you can wear it alone) and it smooths out the surface of your skin, reducing the appearance of pores for a more flawless and perfected finish. It also mattifies your skin and the tea tree ingredients help to keep your complexion as fresh and clear as possible. Love The Pore-Fessional? Try this out as a cheaper alternative!

 

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Recently giving into the hype, and becoming tired of applying foundation with my fingers, I decided to invest in a decent set of make-up tools in the form of Real Techniques brushes. They didn't break the bank; I got the Core Collection set which cost £22 and contained four brushes but was the only way that I'd be getting my hands on the much-loved Buffing Brush. I use this every day to apply my liquid foundation and just adore the smooth, flawless, even and streak-free finish that this gives in super quick time and the large head can cover quite a big surface area at a time. Applying foundation has never been so easy. 

 

Models Own Nails: Naked Shimmer & Bluebelle

Lots of love for Models Own at the moment! These two are complete opposite ends of the spectrum with regards to nail varnish colour; one being a subtle and neutral nude, with the other being a bright and bold glitter shade, but both are utterly gorgeous. Just this morning I took off Bluebelle (took forever - bloody glitter polishes!) for a change to the more muted and toned down shade of Naked Shimmer - a creamy pinky grey - and I really love both of them and can see me coming back to them again and again.

 

I'm off to Liverpool this afternoon to see Michael McIntyre's live show at the Echo Arena as I got tickets for that and a hotel too for my boyfriend's birthday present so I'm really, really excited as we've been counting down the days to this since August. Expect a haul post soon after too because I already know that I won't be resisting the shops in Liverpool One!

 

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

♥

Monthly Empties | November

Hello my little pickles! No need for too much of an introduction today but here is one of my personal favourite types of post ..'empties'. I've expressed before why I understand some people can think these posts are weird, because, well, they are. 'Just throw the empty shampoo bottles in the bin, you loon' is what I want to tell myself sometimes! But I still like to write these posts, I still like to read these posts and they're always well received too so I can't be the only person who likes to see these. So here are products that I've loved so much that I used up every last scrap of them instead of neglecting them or throwing them out:

 

 

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner

Mmmm! This jumbo sized duo for dry and damaged hair was an absolute treat to use and I can't wait to get back to using Aussie on my hair again! I recently switched things up when I finished these and starting using the Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner on my hair instead and they just do not even compare! These are very affordable, smell gorgeeeous - be aware the smell is very sweet and bubblegum-like, and leave hair feels soft, smooth and really managable with minimal frizz! Love! 

 

N-Spa Lemon Souffle Body Scrub

It looks like there's a little bit left in here but I asure you that there isn't. This was a gift for Christmas last year but N-Spa has a brilliant bargain range of products and there's so many more that I want to try! This scrub is citrus scented which is great because it smells really fresh and clean and the exfoliating beads inside are quite rough and gritty so I'd recommend this for the times when you need a reaaally good clean - it's great for getting rid of patchy fake tan left overs.

 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Mask

If you saw my verrry lengthy post on this product earlier in the month then fear not as I'm not about to ramble on for another 1,000+ words about my opinions on this, instead I'll just direct you all to the post that I wrote so you can have a read for yourself if you like: LINK. I really do love this Lee Stafford product and I'm sure I'll continue to repurchase and use this for a very long time as I feel it does wonders for my hair and can often be found for a bargain when '3 for £12' offers are on.

 

Special FX Nail Varnish

I found this little 3ml bottle rolling around in the bottom a drawer when having a sort out the other day and there was just enough left in the bottle to get one coat of colour on each of my nails, but by the time I reached my last pinky finger I really was scraping the barrel to get any more product out of here. It's a shame really because I don't know where this came from or how long I've had it for but it's a really beautiful shade and appropriate for the season; it's a lovely deep metallic navy blue and unfortunately the bottle doesn't have a shade name on it because I suspect it came as part of a set, being a miniature and all.

 

Lush Mask of Magnaminty Face & Back Pack

This mask is amaaazing! If you haven't tried it yet then I highly, highly recommend you hop on down to Lush and pick one up. In fact, try any of their face masks and I'm sure you'll be impressed - I love lots of their fresh ones. Unfortunately, as these contain fresh and natural ingredients they have a use by date of around three months and because there's so much product inside the tub I didn't get a chance to use it all up before it went off which is a shame really. As the name suggests it's a mint scented mask, it is very thick, clay-based and leaves the skin refreshingly tingly and awakened!

 

 

♥