Review: Dove Nutri-oil Hair Serum

Product Talk by Nuffnang

Hello! I have a product review for you all which was from Nuffnang's Product Talk. I am one of 20 to be given the opportunity to review the Dove Nutri-oil Serum and I had been really curious about this product, especially after reading reviews from Chaigyaru and Violet Le Beaux :) Now I can finally try this product and review it for you guys!

For my pictures I have been inspired by Xiaxue who does really entertaining product reviews! Of course, mine definitely won't be as entertaining nor funny but I've decided to be a little quirky and different to how I normally take pictures for my reviews ^^

*Ta-da* Posing with Dove Nutri-oil Serum

Nuffnang sent me a pack of 6! I thought I was only going to get 1 bottle :O

I gave 2 bottles to my mum and I have the other 4 lol...

Gotta be 'traditional' with my product reviews and include a picture like this

Cute curious cat Coco is curious... try saying that over and over again

If you're as curious as my cat Coco, here is a little about the product:

Nourishment boost for smooth shiny hair anytime

Dove Nourishing Oil transforms dry, rough and frizzy hair into moisturised hair with nutrients which restore smoothness, softness and shine. This makes hair easier to manage style  and with the weightless nourishing oil containing Argan Oil, the hair can be deeply nourished, frizz can be instantly smoothed and shine is revitalised without weighing down hair.

Luckily the condition of my hair has stayed the same since before dying my hair. I've never had any major issues with my hair except for getting split ends and flicks (caused by my previous hairdresser... who I no longer see and the problem is no longer present with my new hairdresser). I don't blow-dry my hair for two reasons: 1, because I'm lazy and 2, I don't want to dry out my hair even more (no 'proof' suggests this but that's just what I assume :S)

I am going to brave and share my hair insecurities, imperfections, flaws, whatever you want to call them...

Starting with my biggest problem...

My scalp gets oily but my ends don't! They stay dry which results in frizz. They're not split.

Perhaps dyeing my hair has 'stripped' the moisture a little (that sounds harsh but uh, it's probably true T__T)

My sex hair It's normally like this when I don't brush it and when I can't be bothered brushing it, I run my fingers through it and leave it as it is ._. *Ahem* That was before I went and got a new hair brush (it was only $2 from Priceline! Score) but I thought I'd show you my hair in its most natural form... not the most attractive, ay? *Gasp*

I just realised how long my hair is now! Around 9 months ago it was literally at my shoulders! I had pictures of my hair that short in my first ABBM post and the Beauty Conference.

I know I pointed out a lot of flaws but I also have positive things to say about my hair!

It stays straight, no more flicks, no more split ends, my hair strands are thin (thanks to my genes! It makes dyeing a lot easier) and there is definite shine and smoothness to it.

(Don't know what happened to the photo's exposure here but ah well...)

As you can see above, my hair looks much better when it is brushed. I can still see some frizzy bits sticking out but a hair brush can fix that. Neither can it fix the dryness :(

More about the Dove Nutri-oil serum is and what it claims to do:

• Formulated with Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil
• As affective as Moroccan Oil, but a fraction of the price
• Reduce roughness and frizz by 99%
• Weightless formula does not leave oily residue
• Dove Nutri-oil is part of a three step system, including Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo and Conditioner
• RRP $9.99

Hoping that this will do the trick ;) Tame my ugly frizz by 99% as you claim!!

Directions:

• Pump 3-5 times depending on your hair length onto your palm

I did one pump each time and smoothed it directly onto my hair because I didn't want to have much of the oil in my hand or else it might go everywhere aka on the floor :L I am clumsy, so I played it safe with one pump each time, 5 in total for my whole hair.

This is 1 pump. Very slippery on my palm... had to quickly take a picture before it could leak onto the sides... so glad it didn't D:

 I thought the serum would be yellow like it's seen through the bottle but it's clear

• Smooth evenly through wet or dry hair. Avoid roots. Style as desired. No need to rinse.

 Mainly focusing on my ends here! And squirting directly onto it to avoid it spilling everywhere

My way of styling? Just brushing through :)

~~~

Now to see the results of one side of my hair

(Oh crap the 'before' and 'after' aren't event aligned! Dodgy editing deserves a face palm)

Here I have my poker face (unintended) so you can wait until after the as break to find out the results (lol I'm kidding). But I must point out the pros that this hair serum has given me:

Pros:

+ Noticeably less frizz

+ Non-greasy texture

+ Rapidly absorbed, easy to work into the hair

+ Smoother hair

+ Silkier and softer strands

+ The serum smells nice (like shampoo but less soapy)

+ Hair became less static

+ Hair is more moisturised and revitalised

+ Pump mechanism evenly distributes products

+ Lid can be unscrewed so every drop of serum can be used

+ Good size for its price of RRP $9.99

Cons:

- Needs to be used daily to maintain the anti-frizz etc. though hair will gradually improve

- If not evenly smoothed onto hair, an oily patch would appear

So I guess now I understand why Nuffnang sent out 6 of these instead of one, because this is recommended for daily use and one bottle surely won't last long if it's used everyday!

The verdict: 

Dove Nutri-oil Serum = Good

I highly recommend it! The above picture is the outcome on both sides of my hair - how much better does it look now?!?! Still the odd frizz up the top but oh well, hopefully if I continue using this in my hair care routine, the frizz will be gone for good *fingers crossed* At least my ends don't feel dry anymore, yay!

LOL I look so emotional/teary-eyed here but I think it was just my contacts becoming dry

Happy to have improved hair!

Repurchase?

Maybe after I finish all 6 bottles xD But seriously, it is likely that I would keep this as part of my hair care routine. It's inexpensive and I have seen great results. Thank you Nuffnang for sending this product to me :D

Didn't want to leave you with a teary-looking Jen as the end pic so here's a rare teeth-smiling picture of me taken from my iPod:

Bahaha my baby tooth canine sticks out so much! (This is the only baby tooth I still have left)

Thanks for reading my review guys, hope it was enjoyable ^_^ Let me know if I should do more of *these* types of reviews.

And for all products I receive to review, I like to give something back to my readers by allowing you all to have a jar sample to try! If you're interested in trialling the Dove Nutri-oil Serum before you consider buying one, email me - no one's actually done this before but that's okay ^^" I will continue to offer!

Questjen of the week:

On a scale of Low, Moderate and High, how much maintenance does your hair require?

My answer: Low to Moderate

I used to think that mine was always low, but then I realised I'm actually pretty lazy with it :/ If you want low maintenance hair, you have to put in the effort to care for your hair. Not the effort to style it but the effort to look after it and constantly give it the treatment and nutrients that it needs.

Generally, naturally straight hair is easier to maintain than naturally wavy/curly hair however it doesn't mean that straight hair is problem-free. I need to be more like my mum when it comes to my hair - for her, hair is more important than the skin/face!! She uses more products for her hair and spends more time taking care of her hair than her face (she never wears makeup). She always complains about my hair being messy and I like point out her lack of makeup skills/interest/skin care products xD It's funny how we're like the opposite!

♥ Jen

Review: Hamilton Sun Sunscreen

Product Talk by Nuffnang

Hi guys! I'm going to be doing a review on some Hamilton sunscreens which I received from Nuffnang as part of their 'Product Talk' where items are sent for consideration. I know that many places around the world aren't experiencing hot weather so it probably seems odd that I'm reviewing sunscreen, but in the Southern Hemisphere where I am, it's currently summer and sun protection is extremely vital!

About Hamilton

I don't like to copy and paste slabs of information about a brand/company on my blog posts, thus I will just share what I already know about Hamilton. It is a 100% Australian-owned company which is based in my very own hometown (Adelaide)! That's quite awesome, and the laboratories are situated in the city. With over 75 years of rich history and experience, this brand can be highly trusted. More information on the company/brand and products can be found on their website.


Here are the 3 different Hamilton sunscreens that were given to me to try:

L-R: Toddler, Sensitive and Family sunscreen

I'm glad that I was given the chance to try 3 different sunscreens as I can get a better idea of Hamilton's range and their formulas. I'm no skin specialist or chemist but having a bit of a science background does sort of help with biological/chemical terms and ingredients. Not to a very large extent though... so this review will still mainly be from a beauty blogger's perspective.

Hamilton Sun Toddler

Size: 125mL

Price: RRP $11.99

Scent: N/A

 Illustration of how the sunscreen works

About the product:

• Designed for delicate young skin
• Minimal active ingredients
• Gentle, low allergy sunscreen
• Fragrance free
• High SPF 30+ broad spectrum protection 
• 4 hours water resistant

My thoughts

Unfortunately I wasn't able to test this product out on a toddler (if I was desperate I could have kidnapped my toddler cousins for a while but nah haha) so I tested it out on... myself :| Being 18 definitely means that I am no longer a toddler but my skin can still be considered as youthful... right? Well even if not, I still gave it a try. And yes, I did feel that this was very gentle for my skin. I like how it's fragrance free because sometimes I prefer to not have/smell that typical sunscreen scent. I noticed that it had a slightly thicker texture than regular sunscreens but nonetheless, it smoothed on really well. It didn't leave my skin feeling sticky after applying it on, in fact it just made my skin feel more moisturised :)
I can't comment on its effectiveness as a sunscreen because I haven't been able to use it as much as I would like to but a high SPF of 30+ is substantial and is considered to be the minimum SPF for sunscreens in Australia, since the UV rays are quite high here. We're known as the 'sun burnt country' for a reason! Water resistant for 4 hours seems to be good too.


Pros (+) and cons (-):

+ Highly suitable for toddlers/those with delicate skin
+ Gentle
+ Fragrance free
+ Low levels of active ingredients to reduce allergy potential
+ Very high protection of SPF 30+
+ 4 hours water resistant
+ Smooths onto skin well
+ Non-sticky
+ Leaves skin feeling moisturised
+ Hygienic and suitable packaging (screw-top lid)
+ Flat, hand-size bottle = perfect for travel/handbag
+ Expiry date on the back of the bottle
+ Reasonable price
- Only available in Australia and selected pharmacies
- Texture is a little thick (due to the high protection requirement for gentle skin)
- More effort required to rub sunscreen onto skin

Repurchase?

Not any time soon, that's for sure. Because I don't plan to have a toddler of my own for a long time :P But if/when I do, I'd feel comfortable with using this product on their skin as it really is gentle and gives higher protection. It may require more effort with rubbing in the sunscreen however that just means that more ingredients are used to give even more sun protection which is perfect for toddlers.

Hamilton Sun Sensitive

Size: 125mL

Price: RRP $17.45

Scent: N/A

About the product:

• Gentle on sensitive skin
• Free of chemical absorbers
• Reduces allergy potential
• Fragrance free
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Broad spectrum SPF 30+ 
• 4 hours water resistant 

My thoughts

As I do have sensitive skin, this was perfect for me to use! There are actually levels of skin sensitivity and I used to think that I had high sensitivity but it's really not too severe... I can still use perfumed products (not all of course). I really wasn't aware of sunscreens for sensitive skin... but I guess there's a sensitive skin product for all skincare items i.e. day cream, night cream sunscreen and more. Again, this had the same texture and consistency as the Toddler sunscreen for added protection. However the key difference between these sunscreens was that this sensitive one had a more whitening effect on me o_o It was pretty bizarre... but I think I know why it did that - it must have been the zinc. Because you know how zinc creams leave marks/colours on your face? Yeah I think it's like that for the sensitive skin sunscreen :| Sadly it's not the right 'shade' for me 'cause for my mum there isn't a whitening effect (she's paler than me) so I gave it to her to use instead. At least it's going to use, right :) ?
Again, I cannot comment on its sunscreen effects but with this brand being around for over 75 years, they must be doing something right! It's SPF 30+ and 4 hours water resistant. Also, it's not something that can be tested as a once-off because they do recommend reapplying it (as most/all sunscreens say) after swimming, heavy perspiration or towelling.


Pros (+) and cons (-):

+ Highly suitable for those with sensitive skin
+ Gentle
+ Fragrance free
+ Low levels of active ingredients to reduce allergy potential
+ Very high SPF 30+ protection
+ Smooths onto skin well
+ Non-comedogenic 
+ 4 hours water resistant
+ Non-sticky
+ Contains moisturising ingredients to protect skin from dehydration and to keep it supple
+ Hygienic and suitable packaging (screw-top lid)
+ Flat, hand-size bottle = perfect for travel/handbag
+ Expiry date on the back of the bottle
- May be a little pricey for some
- Only available in Australia and in selected pharmacies
- Texture is a little thick (due to the high protection requirement for gentle skin)
- More effort required to rub sunscreen onto skin

Many sensitive skin products do cost a bit more than regular products which I guess is a bit unfair - skin sensitivity can't always be helped. I think I was born with sensitive skin because I remember as a little girl I'd always have blotchy redness, itchiness and dry skin on my face :( It has definitely become less sensitive now, I am glad!


Repurchase?
Gladly I can make do without sensitive sunscreen on my sensitive face =] Regular sunscreen is fine and is much cheaper than sunscreen for sensitive skin... so I wouldn't purchase this. I don't mind the typical sunscreen scent too much and to be honest, I rarely wear sunscreen on its own... but that's because I use face creams which already have high SPFs in them like my tinted moisturiser. And I keep my arms/legs well protected when I'm out in the sun. I would recommend it for those who do have sensitive skin, because it didn't irritate my sensitive skin and I felt that it gave much stronger protection than normal sunscreen. My skin was more moist after applying however it made my skin a bit whiter. Be aware of that if you choose to purchase this sunscreen!

Hamilton Sun Family

Size: 125mL

Price: RRP $14.40

Scent: N/A

About the product:

• For everyday family protection whatever they do during the day
• All skin types including sensitive
• Non-greasy
• Ideal for moderate sun exposure
• Broad spectrum SPF 30+  
• 4 hours water resistant 

My thoughts:


Comparing this sunscreen with the previous two, this feels much thinner and smoother to apply on. It rubs on really well and quickly absorbs onto my skin. It has SPF 30+ and 4 hours of water resistance so you can be assured that you will be highly protected. It doesn't leave any white/streak marks after rubbing it in and it's good for when you're out with no mirror because it just needs a few quick rubs and the sunscreen has already dissolved. The scent is just like any other ordinary sunscreen scent and to me it is tolerable. It is sort of like citrus but not as strong. All I can say is that it does have that typical sunscreen scent!


Pros (+) and cons (-):

+ Great for everyone and all skin types
+ Ideal for body and face
+ Non-greasy
+ For moderate sun exposure anytime, anywhere
+ Very smooth and thin for ease of application
+ Hygienic and suitable packaging (screw-top lid)
+ Flat, hand-size bottle = perfect for travel/handbag
+ Expiry date on the back of the bottle
- Only available in Australia and selected pharmacies
- Fragrance may not be favourable for everyone

Repurchase?

Out of the three, this would be the one that I'd purchase! As I said before, I can use products with fragrances and it doesn't bother me or irritate my skin. Also, it's great for everyone's use so it does cater for all skin types :)

***

Yep so that's all for my sunscreen reviews! Sorry that I wasn't able to say a whole lot about them and so all sorts of tests :( I will be taking them with me to my trip to Sydney (tomorrow!) so I can trial them out some more for my own sake. But if you do have any questions about the Hamilton brand or products, feel free to ask ^_^

Thanks for reading and thank you Nuffnang for the Product Talk opportunity.

Apologies if I do not have a new blog post within the next couple of weeks - I will be away from my laptop until the 31st of this month. If I don't post anything before the end of this week, I want to wish you all an early Merry Christmas :D

Questjen of the week:

Do you use sunscreen everyday?

It's recommended that you wear sunscreen everyday, even if there is no sun out.

As for me, no I do not wear sunscreen everyday when I am out but I really should get into that habit, especially because I don't want to tan and I certainly don't want to have ageing skin or skin cancer. Much better to be safe than sorry!