ARBUTI

Magazine. Know-how from the salon.

Hair, skin, styling and care: answers to the questions we hear in the chair every day – written by hairdressers.

Smiling woman around forty running her fingers through her full, shoulder-length hairTest · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthTop 10 hair growth products comparedTen well-known products for women and men – and the serum we recommend.

Hair & Styling

Care, blow-drying, straighteners, curls – the tools and routines we recommend in our own salon.

Woman with long chestnut hair being blow-dried with a dryer and round brush, terracotta backdropTest · Hair & StylingThe right hairdryer and why watts alone tell you nothing.A good hairdryer dries quickly without frying your hair. What the motor, wattage and ions really do – and the hairdryers we recommend for each type of hair.Hands working a little hair cream through the lengths of shoulder-length wavy brown hairTest · Hair & StylingHair cream: care that stays in your hair.Not all hair creams are the same: one nourishes dry lengths, another defines curls, a third gives short hair shape. Which one you need – and the ones we recommend.Colourist in black gloves combing through a section of soft brown hair in the salonGuide · Hair & StylingHair colour remover: what it can do – and what it can’t.Your colour has turned out too dark and you want to go back? A hair colour remover can lift artificial dye out of your hair without bleaching it. How it works, what to expect and which products we know.Barber shaping a fresh fade on the side of a man's head with hair clippersTest · Hair & StylingCutting hair at home: with the right clippers.Good clippers don’t pull, cut in a single pass and hold the length you’ve set. What makes the difference in blade, motor and guards – and which hair clippers we recommend.Man with short salt-and-pepper hair shaping a matte, textured quiff with his fingertipsTest · Hair & StylingThe right hair wax: hold, shine – and how much to use.Wax, paste, clay, pomade – the names sound alike, the results don’t. What matters is hold and shine to suit your hair length and look. What we use in the salon and recommend for home.Woman with shoulder-length loose waves in motion, fine spray mist against a yellow backdropTest · Hair & StylingCurl spray: light, quick, for every day.A curl spray is the lightest styling product for curls and waves: it defines without weighing hair down and brings curls back to life on day two. The sprays we recommend – and what each one is best for.

Hair Loss & Hair Growth

Making sense of thinning hair: the causes, the products compared and what you can realistically expect.

LADUTI Hair Serum, bottle seen from the frontTest · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthWhat really helps with hair loss?Understand the causes, compare the products, keep expectations realistic.Woman with shoulder-length black hair drinking a glass of water by a linen-curtained windowGuide · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthCosphera Hair Vitamins: helpful for a deficiency – little else.Cosphera is one of the best-known hair vitamin brands. What’s in the capsules, who they really help and why a blood test is often the better first investment.Woman smoothing golden oil between her palms through the lengths of her long brown hairTest · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthThe right hair serum: for your scalp – or for your lengths.“Hair serum” means two different things: serums for the scalp, designed to support thinning hair, and conditioning serums for glossy, supple lengths. We explain the difference and recommend products for both.Woman in profile gathering her long glossy dark brown hair into a low ponytail with both handsGuide · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthHairpexin: hair vitamins, soberly assessed.Hairpexin is sold as a capsule for stronger hair growth. What’s in the formula, what the ingredients can actually claim to do – and when you’d be better off with something else.Woman with dark auburn hair applying a drop from an amber glass dropper to her partingGuide · Hair Loss & Hair GrowthLADUTI Hair Serum: what it can do – and what it can’t.Few hair serums come up as often in our salon. What’s in the bottle, what the studies really show, how to use it – and why it takes first place in our comparison.

Skin & Face

Dark spots, under-eye circles, retinol: skincare that makes a visible difference.

Woman in her sixties patting serum onto her cheekbone by a windowGuide · Skin & FaceAvush review: does it really work?With pigment spots, the promises are big and patience runs short. Our team has used Avush in the salon – here’s our honest take on what its actives can do, what’s proven and what you can realistically expect.Avush serum for pigmentation and age spots, 30 ml amber glass bottleGuide · Skin & FaceAvush: the set for pigmentation and age spots.One serum, one tonic, two steps: what’s inside Avush, how to use it properly and who it suits. Whether it really works, we answer in detail in our review.Cupped hands holding a soft white foam, lifted toward the faceTest · Skin & FaceEnzyme peel: smooth skin without scrubbing.Enzymes dissolve dead skin cells without any rubbing – the gentlest way to exfoliate sensitive skin. How it works, and which enzyme peels we recommend.Woman with a towel in her hair, eyes closed, in warm facial steamTest · Skin & FaceFacial steamers: a treat with benefits – in the right dose.Warm steam softens the skin and makes blackheads easier to remove. What a facial sauna can do at home, where its limits lie – and which devices we recommend.Woman pressing a drop of serum into her cheek with her fingertipsTest · Skin & FaceThe right face serum: one active, one goal.A serum delivers one active ingredient right where your skin needs it. Which serum suits which concern, how to combine them properly – and the serums we recommend.Lavuj Retinol Serum, 30 ml amber glass bottle with pipetteGuide · Skin & FaceLavuj Retinol Serum review: what it can do – and how to start.Retinol is the best-known ingredient for fine lines – and the one people get wrong most often. What’s inside Lavuj, how to start properly, what’s proven and why it takes first place in our comparison.Lavule Eye Serum, 20 ml amber glass dropper bottleGuide · Skin & FaceLavule Eye Serum review: what it can do for dark circles.Tired eyes make your whole face look older. What’s inside Lavule, how to use it, what it can and can’t do – and why it takes first place in our comparison.Woman sweeping a cotton pad across her cheek to remove makeupTest · Skin & FaceMicellar water: make-up off in a minute.Micellar water lifts make-up with mild surfactants – no foam, no running water. What it can do, where it falls short and which one we recommend.Laughing woman smoothing cream across her forehead with both handsTest · Skin & FaceNiacinamide: the all-rounder among actives.Niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier, balances shine and helps your complexion look more even. Which concentration makes sense – and the creams and serums we recommend.Woman around sixty dabbing serum onto her cheekbone by a windowTest · Skin & FaceFading dark spots: rather than just covering them.Pigmentation and age spots can be visibly softened with the right skincare – but only a dermatologist can remove them completely. What each method can do, and which products we recommend.Woman massaging white cleansing milk into her cheeks with her fingertipsTest · Skin & FaceCleansing milk: gentle make-up removal, no tight skin.Cleansing milk dissolves make-up and grime with oils rather than lots of foam – ideal for dry and sensitive skin. What makes a good one, and which we recommend.

Make-up

Products and techniques for a look that lasts all day.

Woman blending a sheer tinted cream onto her cheek with two fingersTest · Make-upCC cream: even out colour, let skin show.A CC cream evens out redness and dullness without masking your skin. How it differs from BB cream and foundation – and which CC creams we recommend for which skin type.Woman wearing red lipstick lifting a small white espresso cupTest · Make-upLipstick that lasts: – from morning coffee to dinner.Long-lasting lipsticks come in many forms – from matte liquid lipsticks to nourishing classics. What really lasts, what dries out your lips and which ones we recommend.Lip contour being traced with a rosewood lip liner pencil, close-upTest · Make-upThe lip liner: – the frame for every lip colour.A good lip liner stops lipstick from bleeding into fine lines and gives your lips a clean shape. The liners we recommend – and how to choose the right shade.Woman in pyjamas dabbing a lip mask onto her lips with her ring fingerTest · Make-upLip masks: – care that works overnight.A lip mask is richer than a lip balm and stays on your lips for longer – ideal overnight. The masks we recommend and how they fit into your routine.Woman sitting on parquet beside an open makeup case, choosing a brushTest · Make-upThe make-up case: – order for every collection.A good make-up case keeps everything organised, clean and within reach – at home and on the go. Which design suits you and the make-up cases we recommend.

Lashes & Brows

Serums, tinting, lifting – for lashes and brows that frame the face.

Lazru serum for lashes and brows, 3.5 ml tube with brush applicatorGuide · Lashes & BrowsLazru Serum review: what it can do for lashes and brows.One serum for lashes and brows – no prostaglandins, no hormones. What’s inside, how to use it, what’s proven and what isn’t – and why it takes first place in our comparison.Eye with long natural lashes looking upward, close-upGuide · Lashes & BrowsLong4Lashes: what’s inside the lash serum.Long4Lashes is one of the best-known eyelash serums. What’s in it, why it works, what you’re accepting in return – and who we’d point towards an alternative.Woman placing a strip of false lashes while looking into a hand mirrorGuide · Lashes & BrowsMagnetic lashes: false lashes without the glue.Magnetic lashes stay put with tiny magnets instead of glue. How the two systems work, what to watch out for if you have sensitive eyes – and when another option suits you better.Fine brush tracing the upper lash line on a closed eyeTest · Lashes & BrowsEyelash serum: with or without prostaglandins?Eyelash serums differ above all in one respect: whether or not they contain a prostaglandin analogue. That determines how well they work, the possible side effects – and which serum is right for you.Lash curler lifting the upper lashes at the base, eye looking upTest · Lashes & BrowsThe right eyelash curler and why the curve is everything.A good eyelash curler lifts your lashes from the root without crimping or pinching. What matters isn’t the brand but whether its curve fits your eyelid.

Beard & Men

Trimmers, oils and the right routine for a well-groomed beard.

Man with a grey beard shaping it with his fingers at the window of an old apartmentTest · Beard & MenBeard care: step by step.A well-groomed beard doesn’t need ten products – just the right ones, in the right order. Our salon routine and beard care kits you can start with right away.Man defining the cheek line of his short beard with a black trimmer on a cobalt backdropTest · Beard & MenThe right beard trimmer: for stubble, edges and full beards.A good beard trimmer cuts in a single pass without pulling, and holds the length you set exactly. The features you really need – and the trimmers we recommend for each type of beard.Man shaving with a razor, white lather on his cheek, navy towel on his shoulderTest · Beard & MenThe right razor: – more blades aren’t always better.A good razor shaves closely without irritating your skin. What the number of blades really means, when a simpler razor is the better choice – and which models we recommend.Man with lifted chin applying shaving gel along his jaw and neck, pale blue backdropTest · Beard & MenShaving gel: for a shave without the sting.A good shaving gel lets the blade glide, softens your stubble and protects your skin. What sets gel, foam and cream apart – and which shaving gels we recommend.

Body & Nails

Stretch marks, hands, nails: care from head to toe.

Woman with closed eyes spreading foam over her shoulder in a travertine showerTest · Body & NailsThe best shower gel: is one your skin doesn’t notice.A good shower gel cleanses without leaving your skin tight. What mild surfactants and moisturising extras do, when fragrance becomes a problem – and the shower gels we recommend for dry, sensitive and active skin.Hands at a manicure: a natural nail being shaped with a slim electric fileTest · Body & NailsElectric nail files: for natural nails or for gel?A manicure set with gentle sapphire attachments and a nail drill spinning at 30,000 rpm are two completely different tools. Which one you need – and which devices we recommend.Woman in a robe gliding a white handheld device along her lower leg in a bright bathroomTest · Body & NailsIPL hair removal: what an at-home device can do.IPL devices reduce body hair with pulses of light – but not equally well for every skin and hair colour. Who a device is worth it for, what you can realistically expect and which models we recommend.Two hands, one pressing cream into the back of the other, fine gold ring, yellow sweaterTest · Body & NailsHand cream: for hands that take a lot.When you work with water, shampoo and colour all day, as we do in the salon, you know your hands need more than a nicely scented cream. Which hand creams really nourish – from repair balm to handbag essential.Hands rubbing a sugar scrub over a white washbasin, oxblood sleeves rolled upGuide · Body & NailsHand scrub: two minutes to smoother hands.A hand scrub lifts rough, flaky skin so your hand cream sinks in better. You don’t need an expensive product: sugar and oil from the kitchen will do. Here’s how we do it – and how to look after your hands afterwards.Man on the edge of a bed applying body butter to his forearm and elbow in an old apartmentTest · Body & NailsBody butter: when lotion just isn’t enough.Body butter is the richest form of body care – ideal for dry skin, elbows, knees and the colder months. Which ones we recommend and how to apply them without feeling sticky.Lazale cream for stretch marks and pregnancy stretch marks, 150 ml pump bottleGuide · Body & NailsLazale Cream review: what it can do for stretch marks.Stretch marks are fine scars – no cream can make them vanish. What Lazale can still do, what’s inside, how to use it and why it takes first place in our comparison.Hand removing pink nail polish from a nail with a cotton pad on a marble tableTest · Body & NailsNail polish remover: quick, but gentle.Acetone dissolves any polish in seconds – and dries out your nails and cuticles. Acetone-free removers are milder but need patience. Which remover suits which polish, and the ones we recommend.Hand with glossy nude polish resting in a white nail lamp, grey linen clothTest · Body & NailsNail dryers and why your polish decides.A UV/LED lamp cures gel and hybrid polish in seconds – but barely dries regular nail varnish any faster. Which lamp is worth it for home use, and what wattage claims really mean.Woman applying self-tanning mousse to her shin with a velvet mitt, caramel backdropTest · Body & NailsSelf-tan: a glow without the sun – or the streaks.An even tan depends less on the product than on the prep. The self-tans we recommend for beginners, for your face and for a deep tan – and how to get the application right.