1. 2. 3. 4. Who knew hair care could be so easy!

pHormulate’s Color Care System is designed specifically for color treated hair. I am a frequent color gal, so I’m sharing my thoughts on this line of hair products.
I tested the 1a After Color Shampoo, 2a After Color Shampoo, 3a Anti-Aging Leave-In Treatment, and 4a Hydropolish Strengthening Serum.

All four products have UV blockers to prevent color fade which is especially important during the summer months when we typically spend more time outdoors.
The pH is formulated on the low end of the scale help lock in color (hence the name).

The shampoo (1a) smells fresh and botanical with a hint of herbal scents. I loved the sudsing action! And my hair was manageable and rinsed quickly.

The conditioner (2a) is a thick cream that punches moisture into your hair. Again, the scent is light and pleasant. My hair was shiny, knot-free, and soft. Can’t ask for more than that!

Both products are packaged in matte-finish tubes making it less likely to slip in the shower. The shampoo is an 8 oz tube and the conditioner is a 6 oz tube- impressive! I have long wondered why companies package shampoo and conditioner in the same amounts. Most of us use a little less conditioner and it seems logical to decrease the size of that container. Anyhow, I like that pHormulate paid attention to this fact.

The 3a Leave In Treatment is great for quick styling touch ups, trips to the beach, or windy days. It really helped me avoid tangles and has the bonus of Sage, Rosemary and Golden Seal extracts. 3a is a spray treatment, in a 5 oz clear bottle so you can easily judge how much product is left. It left my hair super shiny- just be careful not to overdose. I recommend 3 sprays around your head to start. After seeing how that goes, you can increase or decrease as needed. Use it before heat-styling (drying or irons, etc) to prevent heat damage!

Hydropolish (4a) serum is perfect-o for taming fly-aways, defining curls, adding a bit of extra moisture to the ends of your hair (split ends?), or just adding some extra shine. This product is super concentrated. Start with a teeny dab, rub your hands together (it’s in a 2.5 oz pump container) and then slide your hands over your hair to distribute the product. I had great luck with Hydropolish on humid and rainy days!

Another nice note: pHormulate does not test on animals.
I would recommend the After Color line for gals who color your hair frequently (like me) or those of us with dry hair (again like me). It certainly seemed to help with color fade out!
You can buy the entire hair care line at phormulate.com.

Noodle & Boo was founded to meet the specific needs of children. But for millions of children around the world, tending to their most basic needs is a daily struggle without clean water. As a part of their dedication to children’s well being, Noodle & Boo is launching the Raise Your Hand Campaign, a crusade to fund water purification systems and make a difference one village at a time.

• Approximately 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. That means 5,000 children die every day, 208 children die every hour, and more than three children die every minute.
• Water and sanitation infrastructure helps people take the first essential step towards ending the cycle of poverty and disease.
• HIV treatment is more effective where clean water and food are available.

The first village that Noodle & Boo will sponsor is Heerrara, a small village with a school of 200 children in Ethiopia. With funds raised through the Raise Your Hand Campaign, Noodle & Boo hopes to institute an effective water purification system in Heerrara and improve the lives of the village’s hundreds of children.

Noodle & Boo created the Believe Honey Bar ($12.50 at Noodle and Boo’s website) to facilitate world change. Profits from the sale of this bar of soap will go directly to the Raise Your Hand Campaign. By purchasing a single bar of soap, you can meaningfully improve a child’s quality of life.

*Read Bionic Beauty’s review of Noodle and Boo’s products.* 

Eucerin has opened up a promotion for a free sample of the Aquaphor Healing Ointment. This lotion is perfect for repairing gardening hands from spring chores! Give it a try and report back with your results.

The standard freebie rules apply: supply is limited, visit the link to Eucerin to request your sample, there is a short form to complete, and it’s only open to US residents.

With the sun and hence swimsuit season upon us, let’s share tips on sunless tanners. Below are my fail safe tricks to get a natural looking glow sans streaks, blotches or skin nightmares.

• Exfoliate during your shower. This is so very important to getting an even application with sunless tanners. I use a bath pouf or a loofah with my body wash and wash my entire body. Then, I very lightly wash with a non-moisturizing exfoliant or microdermabrasion body wash (like Lancome’s Microdermabrasion for body). Your goal is to get an even layer of fresh skin. Without exfoliating, your skin has an uneven “shed” of skin cells causing the skin to absorb the tanner at different rates.
• Before applying your tanner, slather your favorite cream, lotion or barrier cream on your hands (focusing on cuticles and in between fingers). Rub the excess lightly over your knees and elbows. This step helps prevent the dreaded orange hands and allows the tanner to wash off your hands much easier!
• If you are inexperienced, do not choose a foam tanner. These are more difficult to apply and get on your body evenly. Stick with a gel or cream that has some color to it. The color will allow you to see where you’ve already applied the tanner.
• Wash those hands! After application, use your bath pouf or microdermabrasion to lightly scrub your hands clean. Apply another layer of lotion or cream over top (helps to dilute any remaining tanner on your hands).
• Plan some projects! If you are not using a quick-dry formula (and even if you are, you should wait at least 10 minutes before dressing), plan some things to do while the tanner sinks into your skin and dries. Fold laundry, apply a face mask, refresh your toenail polish. And don’t wear white shorts or pants immediately after applying your tanner- you will just be asking for trouble!

What are your secret tips for a successful sunless tan?

Caress is offering free samples of their Brazilian Exotic Body Infusions body wash! Supplies are limited, so be sure to request yours quickly. This sample promotion is only open to residents of the United States.

Enjoy! And be sure to let me know if you’ve already tried this product. I bought some over the winter and I was very impressed. The moisturizing qualities really helped with my itchy, dry, winter skin. Great bargain buy!

The UK’s Garnier Beauty Bar is offering free samples of UltraLift Pro-X deep wrinkle treatment for face. This sample promotion seems to be open only to UK residents, but readers in surrounding countries can try to request and see if Garnier will ship it to you.

For what it’s worth, UltraLift Pro-X is very similar to the USA version- Nutritioniste Deep Wrinkle Treatment. I’d love to hear feedback once you all get your samples!

Here’s an exclusive sample for Australian readers: L’Oreal’s Derma Genesis (equivalent to the Skin Genesis skincare line in the USA) is offering free samples. Visit the L’Oreal AU website and click the link marked “Register for your free sample”.

Don’t forget to look over the other Freebies we’ve found here on Bionic Beauty!