A few bits I've picked up

Hello all! I had a bit of a poopy morning yesterday. I had the day off and I'd been looking online at some new skincare I thought I'd buy and some foundation but then in the morning I washed my hair and was starting to get ready and my scalp, oh my god, it was just so so dry and flaky after washing. I usually use my Neutrogena T Sal Therapeutic shampoo but thought I'd see how my head did without it - what a mistake!! This got me in such a downer and I just had one of those 'I hate everything' moments. But once I got out the house I felt a bit better and just thought, I'll overcome it and it's not the end of the world.

So, I've been using No7's skincare products for a good 8 months and I was starting to realise that just using a cleansing water and a exfoliator once or twice a week just wasn't cutting it. I'm 24 now and my skin needs a bit more TLC! I am very tempted to buy the Antipodes Divine face oil but for some reason something has held me back. It's one of those things I want to speak to someone in person about but I wouldn't know the first place to go for it! eep. So the first thing I thought I'd try is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Lots and lots of you and other bloggers have used this and love it and so I couldn't miss out! I picked up the starter kit from John Lewis for £14.50 which I think is a really good price for such a renowned product. You get 100ml of product and two cloths and I used it a few hours after buying to remove my makeup and am very excited to give it a proper review in a month or so!

I  then wanted to tackle my scalp problem and thought Lush would be just the place for some advice firstly and maybe a shampoo or treatment. The lady was so helpful, aren't they always? She said she had used the product, called Soak and Float, herself when she had psoriasis on her scalp and it cleared it right up! The one downside, it absolutely stinks! But I guess if something is meant to be good for your skin it's not always going to smell great. She showed me a few other products that might help but I get wary of putting too much product on places where I have problems in case it gets worse. As I was in there I picked up the infamous lip scrub in Mint Julips. I have dry lips so I'm looking forward to using this regularly and seeing an improvement.

Another item I've picked up recently is L'Oreal's Heat Styling Spray for volume. I've been really bad in the last few years with protecting my hair from heat, I must have thought I was indestructible or something haha. So I figured it was about time I got something to protect it when blow drying and liked the sound of something that would help give volume too. I have quite a lot of hair, but it's not really thick so it tends to look a bit flat and gross. I think the packaging is really slick too and it has a really good on/off button in case it accidentally sprays all over the place you keep it!

So those are some exciting new products I'll be reviewing here in due time. I'm off to Birmingham in a few hours to watch the Arenacross. I know it sounds very boyish but I do enjoy it and it means I get to have a sneak around Forever 21 too! Hope you all have a fun Saturday. 

The Tangle Teezer

I feel like I haven't actually heard that much about Tangle Teezers in the blogging world but I have seen a few posts and being the gal that I am, always after something that is going to make things quicker and easier, I popped one on my Christmas list and found it under my tree on the big day. Woop!

So, the Tangle Teezer, by Shaun P (thank you!), can be bought online here, through Boots and various other places. It was invented when he noticed that women just like me and you who go into salons to have their hair coloured or highlighted, were having their hair pulled around all over the place causing split ends more knots. When I had my hair blonde I noticed it was really bad for about a week after having it done and when you brush through your hair it just made it frizz at the ends and cause lots of breakages! Yuck. This swizzy product glides through hair so easily due to it's specially designed plastic teeth you hardly see any hair in the brush afterward and it doesn't hurt at all. Plus no knots!

I opted for the 'Original' Tangle Teezer which is around £10 - personally it's not at the price that I'd just pop into Boots on a normal day and pick it up. It'd be something I'd buy as a treat or request as a present, however it is totally worth it if you do get one! My boyfriend got me mine and bought it in Bubblegum Pink which I love, it's so bright and girly and it is just so... simple! Some people find it annoying that it doesn't have a handle but I think that is just the way it has been designed to be used, which I like. It has specially molded parts where your hand and fingers can grip, but it will take a little getting used to, que lots of banging on the floor and possibly some swearing! What I also really like about it is that it's British, I always feel so proud to know that someone in our Country has designed something that has done so well - still got a bit of Olympic fever left in me sorry!

This is definitely one that I can't see me growing out of and it doesn't render my Denman brush completely obsolete either because I'll use that if I'm putting my hair up or back combing it. So they can live happily together.

Hope you've all had a nice weekend, it's been a bit more of a chilled on for me as next weekend is meant to be busy - if all goes to plan! I've seen some family, cleaned the house and made chocolate croissants, mmmm delish! I sound like such a house wife, I'd better go do something crazy.

Brunette

So as some of you may already know last week I took the plunge by dying my hair brunette. I thought it'd be nice to see a before and after picture but I apologise for the awful photography in the after photo! I just couldn't get a good picture and wanted to post this up so much, so after about 10 tries I gave up and thought this one would do.

My hair looks quite light in the photo but it is actually much darker! It must of been the lighting.

A lot of people say 'oh you want to go dark for Winter' and it's not really that, I've been umm-ing and ah-ing for about 6 months to 1 year now on what to do with my hair as I had a very light brown/blonde colour and I was either going to go brunette or lighten it up and go blonde. I thought it would be easier to put highlights through it rather than go brunette and then hate it and want to go back blonde! So that's what I did and I wasn't really sure to be honest but I kept it for this long as I got used to it but all I kept thinking was, what would I look like brunette? Don't get me wrong, I've been brunette before but I had shorter hair and I was a bit younger, lots of things make a difference to how I would look now with brunette hair. I feel a bit more mature, although someone said I look younger, and once it has got over the shock of having a whole tub of brown hair dye slapped on it I'm sure it will be in much better condition.

I'm really looking forward to getting all dressed up with my new hair and seeing how different I feel. I didn't tell anyone I was getting it done as I like to see peoples faces, ha! My boyfriend really, really liked it and my mum was a bit funny but she just doesn't understand why I can't stick with one colour. The girls in work have also said it suits me better, which is nice to hear!

What do you think? I hope you like it!

Aussie 3 minute miracle

P.S this is the Rimmel Lipstick!

Sorry about the terrible top, I was just leaving for work!

I very luckily received a few samples of the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle thanks to Danielle and Aussie. I actually received them about a month ago but as I went off on holiday I just didn't have time to post about them before I went and to be honest, this post will be much more exciting because.... I actually LOVED it and have now gone out and bought a full size bottle plus shampoo and conditioner!!

I hadn't heard too much about Aussie hair products before except that my sister used to use them a little bit when we were both at home. I thought they were a bit expensive and not much different!

I got the samples through and was pleasantly surprised there were three different sachets. As soon as I opened the first one I fell in love, it smells gorgeous!! And my hair felt so so soft after ward. I wasn't quire sure exactly how to use it - it said apply to clean, wet hair - so I washed and used a bit of conditioner then used this. Probably not the right way!! What I like most is that once I have dried my hair it looks pretty straight and not frizzy, my ends are nicely staying together and don't look very split. They aren't the worst ends but they are a bit bad due to the bleach etc. I don't generally straighten my hair day to day anyway but it make my hair look so much better than if I had just washed and dried normally.

So since I was won over I went out and bought shampoo and conditioner - sorry there is no picture currently! It's so dark outside now it's hard to take photos. I got the Miracle Moist after umming and ahhing over all of them! I just want to know how they make it smell so good!? You can smell it on your hair all day, seriously. Get some!

Batiste XXL

I love bigger hair. My hair, although is kind of thick, looks so flat after a day or even less! So when I saw the new Batiste XXL volume dry shampoo I thought it would be a-mazing! I love Batiste, I own up to using it almost every day, it's became one of those products I just have to have or I'll shove my hair up.

I sprayed the usual amount of Batiste on my hair a day or so after buying it and followed the instructions, rubbing into my hair and really did see the difference. So off I went to work with bouncier, bigger hair - feeling a bit more glam. When I went to brush my fingers through my hair though I couldn't! It was the worst feeling, my hair felt really sticky and matted. I hadn't done anything different apart from use Batiste so I wasn't impressed.

I gave it another chance though, I never get put off a product just through one failed attempt. It could have been something I did after all....yeah right! It still couldn't do anything with my hair it was so frustrating! It also made it feel really dry and like I wanted to just go home and wash it. Normally with the ordinary dry shampoo's my hair just feels the same except more refreshed.

I would not recommend using this for a normal day. There will be loads of people out there though who love having big hair and wouldn't mind about not being able to touch it. I may even use it on an evening out if I want big hair which I can then forget about for the night. But I'm quite disappointed.

Have you used it? Do you use any other volume products?

Favourites

Hiya, me again!

As I've been awol for a little bit I thought I'd update you on what I'm loving at the moment.

(L-R Chanel; Coco Mademoiselle, Trevor Sorbie; Beautiful Volume hairspray, L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream, Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Boots Coconut & Almond lip butter)

My nan bought me this Chanel perfume a year and a half ago for Christmas and as it was such a luxury and rather expensive I didn't use it very much. When I went to see her about a month ago she gave me the one she had as she just couldn't push down to release the perfume. Obviously very sad for my nan but it made me realise I should be using my perfumes not saving them for a special occasion! So I have been using this almost every day at the moment and it makes me feel so grown up and ladylike.

Although I have thick hair it never looks voluminous, this is where Trevor Sorbie comes in handy! Hairspray can smell so strong and get stuck in your throat but I actually like the smell of this one! It doesn't make my hair stiff like most hairsprays but still has holding power and boosts my hair too. I got this one last week and noticed today that they are still on a two for £6 offer - they RRP at £5.10 so I got two which is a bargain.

As I raved about in my last post I have been using this BB cream a lot recently, due to nicer weather and fake tanning. You can read why I like it more now if you click the above link.

Now, this bad boy I have had for about 6 weeks after reading so many great reviews and watching videos. I LOVE IT. I actually washed it yesterday and where it didn't dry in time for me to do my makeup this morning I had to use my old, MAC foundation brush and oh my god it was awful! I felt like I was really scraping my face with it and that my foundation was just being brushed around my face. Awful. The Buffing Brush is so soft it feels beautiful when you do your makeup and blends so well.

And last but not least a little product I use everyday is my Boots lip butter. It's only basic but I really love the scent of coconuts and almonds during summer. It reminds me of sun tan lotion which makes me happy. I have quite dry lips so a lip butter really moisturises and hydrates. I've had mine a while and I'm not even half way through yet! I've now gone on to buy the same but in body moisturiser! Naughty.

What have you been using recently? Please leave a comment :)

P.S Anyone notice how I've blurred the background of my image - what do you think? Is it a do or a don't!



4 week hair challenge #4

My 4 week hair challenge is complete! This is a week behind (sorry) because of me becoming overly stressed with revising for my exam tomorrow, eek. I am kind of excited about it now though, I just want it to be over! I can then focus on a different topic which will be more interesting and then after Thursday I can have a nice few days rest and, if you follow me on Twitter, you would have noticed that I have been eyeing up Real Techniques Core Collection in Boots but I'm going to buy it as a little treat to myself for getting through this week.

If you have been reading my other 3 posts on VO5's Hot Oil (the packaging is slightly different in the link to the one I purchased) you will probably already know what my outcome will be. I am really pleased with the results. The past week or so pretty much everyone I have seen has commented on how long my hair is looking at the moment, not straggly or in need of a good cut (which it is!) just nice and long. I would say it's probably the length it used to be almost two years ago before I chopped it into a bob, big smile! The ends are looking much healthier and my hair feels softer. I haven't had my hair cut or coloured for probably about 3 months so my ends do feel like they need a cut obviously but it feels much better than it did 4 weeks ago when I started.

The price, £4.29, is amazing -that's just over £1 a time to give your hair a little bit of nourishing.
The only downfall I found with them is how heavy it did make my hair feel and looked greasy and in need of a wash faster than usual but I stopped putting the oil onto my roots and focused on mid-length downwards, which to be honest is where the hair is most damaged anyway. The solution is quite runny too so if you pour a lot of it out into your hands it is likely some of it will end up down the plug so do a little bit at a time and if you have long hair then you can easily just squeeze it out onto your hair and then rub in!

I am hoping to take a trip to the hairdressers this week so I will give you a little update and a piccy of my new hair :)

Sorry again for lack of posting, hope anyone else who is revising is ok! Not long to go.  

4 week hair challenge #3

Another week has passed. Doing this during my revision has actually scared me a lot! This now means I have under two weeks until my first exam and four weeks (ish) till it's all over! Que a bit of hyperventilating. It's nice to have a bit of time out though and write on here about nice things!

This week I used my VO5 hot oil on Monday and I haven't really been anywhere or done much apart from revising so my hair has just been down with the front clipped out the way so I can literally get my head down in my books and notes! As I said last week it was starting to make my hair feel quite heavy and greasy so this time I used all the hot oil on my hair ear-length down in the hope that it wouldn't feel like I wanted to wash it again after a few hours. It worked! It also made my ends feel extra soft and I have noticed that it makes them come together a lot more, minimising the look of lots of split ends! Woohoo.

After blow-drying it is pretty straight too, usually my hair goes quite big and the layers (I don't have many but there are some hidden in there) tend to kink in whichever direction they feel like, so this is a huge plus as there is no need to get the straighteners on it!

I am really loving using them and would 100% recommend anyone who wants to add a little TLC to their haircare or just needs a quick fix from heat damage.

Have a lovely evening!

4 week hair challenge #2

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend! After a week without the BF it was really nice to see him and I had a good weekend spent with him and family. Not really ate much chocolate but I will definitely be doing that today.

So, I used my VO5 hot oil again on Saturday - I had something else I wanted to post about then so I saved it for today! I don't generally feel the need to wash my hair that often so this was the second time of washing my hair since I first used the hot oil last Sunday. Sounds a bit gross but I have pretty thick hair and I like to wear it up as much as it is down.

My hair, again, felt really smoothe once I had washed out the oil and it makes it much easier to then shampoo your hair. Sometimes when I shampoo I feel as though I am pulling at my hair where it is a little knotted together. I did pretty much the same, used most of the tube on my ends and then used the rest on the top/rest of my head, washed out, shampooed and then used my conditioner. Just for reference I use L'Oreal Nutri Gloss at the moment.

I must say my ends are looking much better, and my hair blow-drys quite straight and together (if that makes sense!) rather than looking like a huge mop of hair with layers going in all directions. So it is coming along nicely.

The one thing I have found though is that toward the end of the day and totally by the next day my hair feels and looks quite heavy and greasy, so much so that I want to put it all up so that no one can tell! This may be because my roots are beginning to come through, it may be because I should ease off putting the oil directly onto my roots. But I have noticed the difference.

Next week I will try and just use the oil for the hair sort of ear level and below and see if it still makes it feel the way it does now - can't wait to wash my hair!! Yuck.

4 week hair challenge #1

I have decided I need to get my hair done soon. It is getting pretty long, heavy and the colour has gone quite auburn. I do not like!! As I won't be able to afford it until the next pay day, and because I am thinking of going a little blonder, I have begun a 4 week hair challenge to get my locks into better condition!

A friend of mine introduced me to VO5's 'give me moisture' hot oil last summer when I had just bleach-bathed my hair and was worried it may fall out. I didn't take it too seriously at the time and just used it when I remembered until they were all gone.

Now however, I am going to use my hot oil every weekend when I wash my hair and will post an update as to how my hair is feeling - hopefully getting better!

The pre-shampoo treatment promises to lock in moisture, double the strength of hair and repair damaged hair. It comes in a pack of 4 which is to be used once a week. 

<3

The first thing I like about the product is that it smells so good, I can't quite put my finger on the smell but it is very floral and reminds me of being in a hairdressers. I used about 2/3 of the 15ml tube on the ends of my hair and massaged the rest into the tips. The texture of my hair at this point was pretty rough but once I had washed the oil off it felt smoother than after using conditioner. Once I had dried my hair it looked less fly-away and the ends felt as though they had been trimmed.

So far, all good! I am really excited to see how the hot oil helps my hair in 4 weeks and to keep you posted! 

Hair Advice

I’m having a bit of a hair dilemma at the moment. HELP is needed!

 I wanted something that would be easy for up-keep (especially not too pricey) but now I feel a bit like it’s bland. I had brown hair up until I was probably about 16/17, which is when I first changed my complete image and went blonde! I cringe here a little as it was totally peroxide, which made me look sooo pale, and with brown eyebrows it was terrible (looking back). I also had a dodgy cut and unfortunately can’t seem to find any pictures of this, I would love to show you because it is very laughable!!

I have been able to track down a few piccys of my hair from this point on-wards. Once I got over the peroxide look I started having more browns and honey blondes put through, making it look much more natural.

I loved this colour on me but it only lasted a few months unfortunately, I remember having it done by a trainee once in Southampton (during my first attempt at University), but then it started to creep back to full-on blonde bombshell, which was okay, but having been blonde for what felt like FOREVER I then introduced some crazy dark (I would like to say black) chunks by my new, and current, hairdresser.

 It was a different look for me; I felt quite rock chick and edgy, haha. I liked it but decided to try all-over brown, as I hadn’t had it since being at secondary school.

Being quite blonde the brown didn’t take extremely well so it is quite a chocolate brown, which I did think was nice but I had to go back after 4/6 weeks to get it done again. As the up-keep was pretty much the same as my blonde I crawled back to my hairdresser and asked to be blonde again, but also had a dramatic change – I went for the bob!

(Please excuse my expression!)

The bob was cute, but I didn’t like the fact I couldn’t get up some mornings and just put it all up out of my face. It was high maintenance. I started to grow this out after a few months, longing to have below the shoulder hair again. When I look back I can’t believe I did it! My hair was such a nice length and, although I wore extensions for a teeny bit more length and volume, I just felt bored I think.

So, onto another, but darker, shade of brown and now my what I like to call half brown/half blonde kind of colour. It’s like I’m too afraid to go blonde or brown!  But I really want a change and would love to get it done either just before or after I finish all my exams, etc. A bit of an end of an era with Uni and onto a new look and life!

I hope you like the pictures (some of them feel like sooo long ago!!) I think it's always nice to feel like you know the person you're reading about and pictures really help.

Do you think I should go blonde again? Or do you like the colour it is currently? Perhaps you’re going to tell me to go back to brown? I’d love to know what you think so I can finally make a decision (and hopefully stick to it this time).