ON MY DESK: in the pink

Pink. The navy blue of India, they call it. As we head into spring I thought it apt to round up some new product releases across beauty, home, and haircare, in this most pretty of hues, in ON MY DESK: in the pink. I was going to call it ‘pink bits’ but was told this potentially sounded quite rude, so ‘in the pink’ it is.

This week, I feature some of the pretty-in-pink products recently released from some of my all-time fave brands: the first two with the same initials (KM) – Karen Murrell, Kevin.Murphy, Essano, Bras n’ Things, and The Aromatherapy Company.

The Aromatherapy Company COLOUR FUSION

The Aromatherapy Company is very well know for its elegant Naturals range, but did you know they did bright pops of colour as well? The very modern-looking COLOUR FUSION collection has three colourways – the hot pink pictured here in Fuchsia & Wild Peony, a cool turquoise in Orchid & Star Jasmine, and a sunny yellow in Pear & Peach Nectar. Each colourway in the collection comes in natural wax candle ($24.99), a diffusion set (120ml fr $24.99 and 35ml for $14.99) and a car diffuser with this ribbon to tie to the rear view mirror ($13.99) from stockists nationwide; see www.thearomatherapy.co.nz

Karen Murrell sugar.rush

The latest shade from New Zealand natural lipstick queen Karen Murrell is a cool-toned bright fuchsia pink called sugar.rush. Colour-wise, it is lighter than MAC Love Forever, brighter than MAC Lovelorn, and very similar to MAC Pink Nouveau. Sugar.rush is available 1st September and retails for $29.95 from selected health food stores and pharmacies nationwide and online at www.karenmurrell.com

Below: More pink lips from Karen Murrell lipsticks in poppy.passion and camellia.morning

Essano Certified Organic Rosehip Range

My sister-in-law bought this a while back at Countdown and loved the night creme so much. Essano Certified Organic Rosehip Range is an Ecocert-certified organic yet reasonably-priced brand which says they saw a niche in the market as organic skincare ranges weren’t readily available, or very cheap to buy. Essano is also part of the Sustainable Business Network New Zealand which certifies that business practices are responsible, benefit employees and the environment. They are very well-priced, with the body oil $27.99, rosehip oil $22.99, moisturiser $19.99, and night creme $19.99. The rosehip oil face and body products are animal testing-free and available at Countdown supermarkets. www.essano.co.nz

Bras n Things Curvessence bras

Bras n Things has gone wireless! They’ve introduced the Curvessence line of bras, which basically has 3D sculpting technology used to shape the bra without using wire. This is revolutionary in the world of bras as wire is usually used in shaping. Instead, Curvessence uses molded nylon ribbing to mold to your shape for maximum comfort. And they’re doing good as well as looking good; Bras N Things is a Gold Partner supporting National Breast Cancer Foundation funding research for prevention and cure.

Maybelline New York 2014 collection

Maybelline New York has been up to no end of busyness in between hosting all those New York Fashion Weeks and answering strangers’ questions about whether we’re born with it or not. Their new season collection out in July 2014 has no less than 13 innovative new products – which means not just re-releases in new colours, but completely new products. A stand-out is the saturated gloss The Elixir. This concept echoes the worldwide trend we’ve seen for 2-3 seasons from lots of the brands including MAC, Clinique and many others, of a lipgloss that is not sheer but instead is richly pigmented with colour. This is almost a hybrid of a lipstick with a lipgloss; a more subtle merging of two worlds than perhaps the platypus or the nashi pear, but no less significant in its own way. The multi-tasking Elixir is moisturising like a balm, has the colour depth of a lipstick, and retains the high shine of a lipgloss. They retail for $19.99.

Pictured above: pink nail polish in Super Stay 7 Days Gel Nail Color in 180 rosy pink Rose Fuchsia, and lips in The Elixir Colorsensational 095 Blush Essence and 085 Hibiscus Haven.

Kevin Murphy Powder.Puff

I honestly get five days out of a blowdry with this little pink guy. Kevin Murphy Powder.Puff is my go-to oil-absorbing, blowdry-extending powder. Unlike Tink’s magic dust, this won’t make you fly, but you’ll never never (land) look more fly than with great hair.

ANGEL.MASQUE and HYDRATE-ME.MASQUE

New from the fabulous Kevin Murphy comes ANGEL.MASQUE and HYDRATE.ME.MASQUE. These masques are something quite new for the Australian hair brand, as they are specifically formulated to target different hair needs rather than being a one-size-fits-all masque. I have tried both, and think I lean towards preferring the Angel.Masque for my type of hair.

Angel.Masque is a strengthening and deep conditioning treatment for fine, chemically treated or coloured hair, which can ironically be damaged by heavier masques that are too strong for this type of hair. What does it contain that makes it so effective? Its ingredients sound like something I’m more used to hearing in skincare than haircare; namely peptide proteins Tripeptides; a complex of three different strengthening proteins. Angel.Masque also contains extracts from bamboo and quinoa and silk proteins and vitamins for stronger, thicker hair.

Next up, if you have frizzy or coarse hair that’s dry and coloured, HYDRATE.ME.MASQUE is for you. It is formulated to smooth and repair damaged hair using vitamins C and vitamin E. This was interesting to learn: if combined together in a product, vitamin C and vitamin E produce a chemical reaction that would reduce their efficiency, so Kevin Murphy’s hairxperts (yes, I made that word up) designed a new process of micro encapsulating the vitamins in this masque to keep them separate until you use the masque. As a bonus, it smells amazing (aniseed I think) and a little goes a long way, we’re talking the Cape to Bluff long way. In the photo above you can see the amount I use and I have hair past my shoulders that is relatively thick. Both masques retail for $70 each from Kevin.Murphy stockists and like all their products, are cruelty-free.

Megan Robinson
Products received for review and photography
22nd August 2014