Lovea's Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo

I was really excited to be selected as a beauty blogger for mypure recently, because every month I'll get the chance to try out and tell you about a whole range of gorgeous and eco-friendly beauty products. As they explain on their website, "The basic principle behind mypure is that cosmetics, toiletries and home cleaning products made from natural & organic ingredients are easier on our bodies and less likely to cause problems like allergic reactions and skin sensitivity. Products made from natural ingredients are less polluting during manufacture and they biodegrade quickly after use. Great for you, even better for earth. . . Of course, it goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway, NONE of the products stocked at mypure have been tested on animals". Everything sold by mypure is also sulfate free, paraben free & phthalate free. Love it already, especially when I discovered that the company started out in a cabin at the bottom of the founder's garden and has now progressed to a converted chicken shed on an old farm in Kent !

But on to the goodies ! The first product to test was Lovea's Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo. Lovea Hair & Body Care is an organic range from France which was launched in the UK earlier in the month by mypure, the first UK store to stock it. As they explain on the website, "Lovea undertakes to respect people and the environment at every stage in the design and production of its products, and to offer you certified organic products that combine affordability and pleasure. We couldn't agree more! Lovea products are certified organic by the French organic certifying body: Cosmetique Bio & ECOCERT".

The shampoo sounded absolutely perfect for my hair, promising to "fortify hair and restore sheen and brilliance", allowing hair to be "stronger and rediscover its natural bounce". I have very long, very thick hair which tends to frizz and which isn't as sleek or shiny as I would like, despite using various deep-conditioning masks and conditioners. I therefore liked the idea behind Lovea's Brilliance Shine Shampoo but must admit I was a bit dubious about how well it would work.

Well, my first impressions weren't that good actually. When I poured it into my hand under the shower, it seemed too thin and runny - how deeply nourishing could it actually be if it wasn't really thick and creamy ? Then I lathered it into my hair and was amazed at how rich and creamy the foam was, especially for a shampoo with no chemical nasties. I also breathed in the gorgeous refreshing, zingy citrussy scent which reminded me of the "feel-good" aromatherapy shower gels you can buy - it's perfect for waking up with a smile on your face in the morning.

I was tempted to try this shampoo without my usual conditioner but decided that wouldn't really be a fair test as it doesn't claim to be a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner and I never normally use shampoo without conditioner. However, I did reduce the amount of conditioner I usually use to see how it would cope.

Out of the shower with wet hair, my hair seemed lovely and clean and nicely-fragranced but no different to usual really. I let my hair dry naturally and when I headed back to the bathroom to brush it through, I peeked in the mirror and was amazed to see that my hair actually did look glossier and shinier than usual. Wow ! I wasn't expecting that, despite what it says on the tube, because none of the other similar products that I've tried in the past have actually lived up to the claims !

Maybe it's down to the organic certified Moroccan Argan oil, described on the mypure website as "one of nature’s treasures for its nutritive, regenerative, anti-ageing properties" because of its high levels of vitamin E and saponin. There is an interesting and informative article about Argan Oil on mypure, where they explain that : "For centuries argan oil has been a well-kept secret known only to the Berber women of north Africa who use it to nourish their skin, hair and nails. They also use it to soothe eczema, acne, psoriasis and to help heal scar tissue." It sounds like an amazing ingredient that I'm sure will be used in a wide variety of natural beauty products.

As well as being pleasantly surprised by the product itself and my extra-shiny hair, I was also impressed with the price : £4.99 for a 200ml tube sounds like great value to me, compared to other natural and organic ranges. I would definitely recommend it if, like me, you're on a constant quest for sleek, glossy hair and you don't want to compromise your natural beauty ethics. I would also recommend complementing it with Lovea Burkina Shea Butter Nourishing Conditioner or Lovea Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Conditioner, both of which sound divine and are also available on mypure.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £4.99 for 200ml

for more information and to buy online : http://www.mypure.co.uk