Evolve Multi Protein Shampoo & Conditioner Review

A couple of months back my scalp was not feeling too good - it was dry, flaky (kinda gross I know) and I really wanted to find a natural range to help with my scalp woes.

Just to note my hair is just below my shoulders at the moment, has a natural wave and is quite fine and dry. I have never chemically coloured it (I have only ever used Lush Cacas) and I do blow dry it 1-2 times a week, sometimes using straighteners.

I was at the Vitality Show earlier this year and it was nice to be able to speak to some of the people working on the brands face to face and be able to get advice and information about the products and my concerns which is not always available easily with some niche brands (well not in the same way as if I was to waltz into Debenhams and go and speak to someone on say Clinique).

Anyway, I spoke to a lovely lady on the Evolve stand and told her I find it hard getting an effective natural shampoo. She had said they have reformulated their haircare and suggested I try the Multi Protein shampoo and conditioner as it has ingredients beneficial for itchy/flaky scalps.

I didn't get anything then but I kept a mental note and after a bit of a shampoo clearout at home I did go and buy the suggested range from Wholefoods.

The Multi Protein Shampoo is a gel liquid formula that is a little runny so it flows out of the bottle better. I mix this with a little water after applying onto wet hair and this helps it lather and spread out more easily. It rinses out ok but if I use too much I have found it sometimes feels like it hasn't rinsed out properly and then my hair ends up looking greasy (I only found this initially as I was getting used to using this).

That being said the shampoo is excellent on my scalp, it has really improved the flakiness, it doesn't feel itchy or dry, and I think it also stops my hair nearer my roots from getting greasy quickly. My hair feels nourished (and maybe a bit stronger?) and I think I shed a little less hair then before.

For my lengths this isn't quite right, but now I only use the shampoo on my scalp and then use a different lighter shampoo on my lengths which works better for me.

I am definitely going to continue using the shampoo (I have used it for about 2 months now and have about 1/4 of the bottle left), and plan to repurchase it as it has really helped control my scalp problems, I really hope I don't become resistant to the effectiveness of this!

The conditioner feels like a normal conditioner - creamy and moisturising. Again, for my fine hair I didn't need much and this rinses out fine. If I use this after the shampoo, I find it a bit too much for my fine hair and it feels weighed down a bit where as if I use a lighter shampoo before this conditioner then it works better and it does make my hair feel soft, moisturised and a little shiny. It doesn't give me quite the definition I would like to help promote my natural waves so I am not sure if I would repurchase this.

As with all Evolve products, they are natural and certified organic by Ecocert. Both products contain wheat and almond proteins to help strengthen the hair. They also have a sweet almond milky scent that I find a bit unusual to find in a shampoo as it's more the type of scent that you would find in a body lotion but I do love it and because it is unexpected, I sort of forget that these smell like this and it's always a bit of a surprise every time I use them!

Evolve Multi Protein Shampoo ingredients

Evolve Multi Protein Conditioner ingredients

These are 200ml and £9.99 each. I bought mine from Wholefoods but there are quite a few online retailers that stock the range.

Cleansers: Quickish Reviews

Cleansers are one of my favourite items of skincare - I just love the whole ritual and the feeling of fresh, clean skin. I wish I could keep that feeling the whole day! I liken them to a bit like breakfast (which is my favourite meal of the day) as they're both important starts to my daily routine.

I am getting nearer to finishing several cleansers (but haven't been using these all at once! This is more over the space of about 6 months or so) so thought I'd do a quickish review of each. (Just for reference I have combo/acne skin, and this is just how the products worked for me) :

Caudalie Cleansing Water

I bought this in the hopes of it being like Bioderma's Sensibio/Crealine cleansing water. This doesn't quite match the makeup removal powers of Bioderma but it does a reasonable job although some of my more stubborn mascaras definitely need a balm/oil cleanser. I mostly use this for eye makeup removal rather then the whole face as I need a lot to get rid of all my makeup and would get through it very quickly. It feels very gentle and has a lovely soft and subtle cucumber and mild mint scent. Overall I think it's better for more lighter makeup removal.

Evolve Daily Detox Facial Wash

This was a bit of a surprise as it is a runny gel texture that has a mild lather and overall just feels gentle and nothing particularly special. But after using it for a while I noticed that this unassuming cleanser really does make the face feel very clean and soft without stripping it. I do think it helps a bit in keeping the skin clearer as well. The only slight negative I have noticed is that it doesn't work as well for my skin if I use this when I am using my topical acne gel (Duac) as it makes my skin feel a little drier. It has a mild aloe vera type scent that feels quite refreshing. I usually go for gel cleansers in the summer months, but this has been pleasant to use at the moment as well.

Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser

I started using this before Ren's ClearCalm 3 range but I didn't return to it as even though it does an ok job of cleansing it doesn't do really anything beyond this for me. It's not a product that makes me look forward to the whole cleansing ritual as it feels a bit average. This may be good for someone who doesn't have as problematic a skin as mine but is not for me I'm afraid.

Les Fleurs des Bach Cleansing Milk (Anti-Stress)

Wipe-off cleansing milks are not a formula I generally tend to go for, I feel like I am wasting the product as I have to use a lot to remove anything. The reasons I got this were that it was on sale and also I quite liked how calming and soothing it sounded. This is another surprise like as it has a beautiful scent that doesn't smell strongly of lavender as I initially thought it might (I had used the shower gel which did have more of a lavender scent to it). It feels quite nourishing but not in a way that is overpowering for my skin. It is quite effective for makeup removal but as I wear quite a bit around my eyes, it doesn't get every last scrap off as thoroughly as an oil/balm would. The packaging is a lovely classical style dark glass bottle with a convenient pump. It think it is a little bit pricey for a cream cleanser as at full price this is about £20 - I don't use this often but it didn't take me very long to get through half the bottle.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleanser
I had read about this cleanser on the lovely blogs London Makeup Girl and Make-Up By Katy and was intrigued so tested this out in SpaceNK and quite liked the texture and general feel. It is a wonderful soft balm that is easy to scoop a little of and massage onto the skin. A few balms I have tried in the past have felt a bit waxy/greasy and do not remove very easily even with a muslin cloth but this removes well as it emulsifies into a creamy milk when mixed with a little water. I have been using this only in the evenings to remove makeup and while I necessarily don't think I need to double-cleanse (as it does thoroughly remove everything), I do on most days anyway out of habit just to make sure I have really got everything off. This lasts a good while as it spreads well over the skin so I only use a little at a time. I have been using this for almost 4 months and I still have about 1/3 left. It is very gentle around the eyes and doesn't irritate and overall makes my skin feel clean, soft and nourished. This is comforting in the colder months and good for drier/flaky patches as the cleanser used with a cloth really helps to smooth the skin and get rid of any dryness. 


All purchased by me 

Lilac Sunday

Lilac seems to be a recurring theme in my product purchases these past few weeks so I thought I'd do an overview on my thoughts for each.

Evolve Skin Cocoon Moisture Wash and Radiance Boost Smoothing Cream

I have wanted to try some Evolve products since their launch but it wasn't until the recent ASOS sale that I actually bought anything. These have some great eco credentials as they are certified organic by Ecocert and the lovely distinct packaging is made from recycled milk bottles. They are also not tested on animals and contain organic food based ingredients with no nasties.

The Skin Cocoon Moisture Wash has moisturising almond peptides and organic aloe vera to soothe. It is a runny clear gel liquid that has a slight lather and feels very gentle on the skin. There is a mild aloe vera type scent to this which is inoffensive, but if you like a bit more of a fragrance to your bath products like me then this smells too mild for my tastes. It does make the skin feel quite soft and not dry but I found it a rather meh type product and would not repurchase this.

Now the Radiance Boost Smoothing Cream I really like as it smells gorgeous with a slightly sweet, nutty type scent. It is quite a light, cream texture that you only need a small amount as when I first used it, I took too much and it took a while for it to be absorbed, otherwise it usually doesn't require too much rubbing. It leaves the skin non-greasy, smooth and moisturised without feeling like you've applied any cream. I am not sure how this would fair in the winter when my skin is drier but using this during the summer has been pleasant as it feels virtually invisible.

The info on the back says it has Brazilian acerola fruit which is a high source of vitamin C that boosts radiance and moisturises, and this also contains argan oil, rich in omega 6 and vitamin E to help maintain cell elasticity and protect against free radicals. It also contains natural fruit acids to smooth and soften the skin. It does help with dullness in the skin but I haven't used it long enough to notice any benefits with elasticity.

Zoya Remove +

Usually I use Superdrug's Acetone free nail polish remover but that still feels drying on my nails so I decided to try this instead as I've heard good things about it. At £9.95 for 237ml it is expensive for a nail polish remover which is what put me off purchasing before, but now I think it's worth it. This is a mild acetone based formula and since I've been using this my nails don't feel dry when I remove polish, instead they feel smooth and moisturised. I like the packaging as it's a handy salon style push pump which you can twist to lock. It doesn't have the traditional strong smelly remover scent either, it actually smells quite nice with a soft linen/floral sort of scent.

As to it's removing capabilities they are good with most polishes coming off easily, the glitters/shimmers needing a little more work but still remove better then what I was using previously.

Models Own Lilac Fantasy

This is a lilac pearl with faint pink shimmer in a very sheer (almost clear) lilacy-grey base. It looks very pretty in the bottle but it took 4 coats to achieve that colour as it is so sheer. It is not the fastest drying either considering how sheer it is. If it is wasn't for the lovely colour and finish I would have been disappointed. I got this shade from River Island for £4.99 as I don't think they stock this particular colour in Boots.

Here with 4 coats:



Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Polish

This shade is from the Blue Dahlia Colour Collection for autumn 2010 that has recently hit counters. It looks a bit more of an unusual shade then some other grey/lilac colours I've seen as it has fine copper shimmer in it which gives it a lovely warmth, very autumny.

Here with 2 coats:



Application was easy with full opacity in 2 coats. It's a beautiful shade, but the colour kind of blends in too much with my own skin colour so I think it would suit skin tones which contrast more with the shade. This was £12 for 9ml.

Disclaimer: All products purchased by me