Hair Masks

Hey girls, you all know that I want longer hair. My aim is to grow it another 6 inches. Realistically I would probably reach this goal at the end of the year, not by summer! :( Anyway, I have been obsessed with the condition of my hair and I have cut down on the amount of heat styling in a bid to avoid regular trims. The past month, I have been bombarding my hair with hair masks...



Here's a photo below of my hair mid length. It looks quite smooth as I just straightened it, the colour is looking a bit random so I may do a semi permanent hair dye as my roots are showing. My hair has grown about an inch and a half since the beginning of February when I got my hair cut and coloured.

Sometimes I just feel like giving up on growing my hair and feel like getting a sexy short angled bob instead. I may do that one day, just for fun!


Here's what I have been using... I use all treatments prior to washing, I apply all over my hair and wear a shower cap so that I can let my hair sweat for roughly 30mins. I then shampoo and condition as normal.

• BODY SHOP- BRAZIL NUT MOISTURE MASK. This is to restore and strengthen dry, damaged or chemically treated hair. I apply to dry unwashed hair. I have used and purchased this many times before over the years, I can really see a difference after I use it. It feels and looks much healthier and softer. Price £8 / 200ml
• PHILIP KINGSLEY - ELASTICIZER. This is an intensive moisturising treatment for all hair types to add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine. You apply this to wet unwashed hair. This is my favourite mask to use as when I rinse this out, my hair feels incredibly soft and it really feels stronger and less dry after I dry my hair. Price £23.50 / 150ml
• LUSH - MARILYN. This is a hair moisturiser for blonde hair, that doesn't put me off just because I'm a brunette. I apply this to dry unwashed hair. I feel like it neutralises the colour of my hair making it look less brassy. I don't feel it makes a major difference with regards to softness. Price: £7.60 / 225g
  

When I don't put my faith into science, I generally use pure oils as a deep conditioning hair mask. I either use coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil or avocado oil. I may mix them depending on the mood I am in. If I have got time on my hands, I will try to massage the oils deep into my scalp to stimulate hair growth.

(Images: Google - made into a collage by me.)

What's your favourite hair mask?

Disclaimer: The elactizer and brazil nut hair mask were provided for consderation for review. I did not get paid to mention them and I am not affiliated with the brands. This is my honest opnion as always.

New Favourite Shower Gel: EO Chocolate and Mint..

Hope you are having a lovely 'Sunday'! EO is brand new to the UK and stands for Essential Oils. All products are made with natural organic herbal blends and pure essential oils which are not tested on animals. Products are free from;

• Parabens
• Sodium lauryl sulfates
• Synthetic fragrances
• Colours

I was sent two of the shower gels, and am OBSESSED with the chocolate and mint version. It smells just like 'After Eight' chocolates, very chocolaty and minty. It really has made my showers oh so enjoyable and awakening. Words can't describe how much I LOVE the scent, I think I prefer it to my all time favourite shower gel which is L'occitane's cherry blossom. FYI:The EO rose and chamomile shower gel is a bit blah.

The gel itself is clear and lathers up really nicely with my exfoliating gloves! The packaging is very similar to Neal's yard, however the container is made from navy blue plastic instead of a glass bottle.

Price: £12 (480ml) Find out more HERE.

What's your favourite shower gel?

Disclaimer: I was sent the products for review purposes, I did not get paid for this post and am not affiliated with the brand. This is my honest opinion as always. Please note, when communicating with PR companies I make it very clear that I do not guarantee reviews let alone favourable ones.

What's In and Out...

IN...

• My duck egg blue bag that I am using for Spring, it fits everything and looks so cute!
  

• Discovering beautiful Spring / Summer clothes that I forgot I owned because I stashed them away during winter.
• Looking forward to seeing ornamental cherry trees with pink blossoms on them! Yay for Spring!
• Looking at my wedding photos and feeling all happy inside!
• Using up my bronzers, so that I can buy a pretty new one for summer. I'm lusting over Guarlains Terracotta bronzers, one from Mac's 'To the beach' collection or Lancome tropiques mineral bamboo bronzer pictured below. Which one will it be? :) (Image taken from Chic Profile.)

OUT...

• Washing make up brushes.. I have far too many. I will select a few that I use daily and keep the rest out of sight so that at the end of the week, I only have a handful to wash as opposed to a mountain!
• Eating chocolate, the past week I have eaten SO much. It's time to really toughen up.
• Spending stupid amounts of money on beauty products. I have decided I will make a make up fund and aim to add a few £'s here and there so that when a Limited Edition collection pops up, I will only buy what I can afford!
  

What are your in's and out's?

Rouge Volpute #2 Sensual Silk

Yves Saint Laurent 'Rouge Volupte' Lipstick SPF 15 - Sensual Silk No. 2

I recently received this in a swap from Hinna, and am so glad I did - I heart the gold packaging! It's a pinky pale nude with slight mauve undertones. It's incredibly light weight, and literally melts on your lips as you glide it on.

The colour is very similar to Mac 'Hue' lipstick, but a more opaque and vibrant version. I love Hue, so I love this colour. It works perfectly for my skin tone for a barely there lip. I would recommend trying lipsticks on in store and walking out into natural sunlight to decide whether it suits you or not.

See Swatches..

What's on your Rouge Volupte lipstick list?

I am lusting after #30 Faubourg Peach, I have a bit of a peach addiction going on!

E.L.F - Budget Beauty Buys!

A couple of nights ago, I fulfilled my urge and placed a mini E.l.f (eyes lips face) order online. To be honest, I am not very fond of E.l.f as in the past, I ordered a MASSIVE range of products, and ended up tossing a lot of them in the bin - Eeeek, which explains my reasons for placing such a small order.


Tone Correcting Concealer - Shade: Honey £1.50

This was a repurchase, I remember using this in the past and remembering how creamy and light the consistency was. I currently have the mac select moisture cover concealer, but it's way too dark for me when I'm not tanned. I thought 'honey' would be the perfect shade, but it's still too dark! *Sigh*

The formula is actually really similar to the mac select moisture cover, even the packaging is the same shape, but clearly the elf lid looks very cheap. The only difference is that the elf concealer is slightly more creamy, less watery and has a slight orange scent. You can also see how warm toned the shade 'honey' is, it's sort of like a salmon pink undertone.

All Over Color Stick - Shade: Golden Peach £1.50

I already have 'Pink Lemonade' and LOVE it, I was expecting 'golden peach' to be the perfect blush shade but it honestly looks more like a highlighter shade for my skin tone. It is pretty though, it's exactly as described... a golden peach colour. I thought it reminded me of mac 'Lilicent', but it doesn't, see swatches below.

Studio Cream Eyeliner - Shade: Black £3.50

This was a totally random purchase. I have ran out of my blacktrack fluidline and wanted to see if an affordable option would do the job.

Here it is swatched.. On an initial swatch I tried to rub it off after about 5 seconds and it smudged all over the place. I then tried after about 10-15 seconds and it still slightly smudged. I tried it with a primer underneath and it seems to work better. I tried to smudge the swatch after and it did not budge. I haven't worn it on my eyes yet, so that will be the ultimate test.

The packaging is similar to most gel eyeliners, but this one is squared off, it actually looks very sleek.

Individual lash kit - Intensify lashes £1.50

I thought individual lashes would be good to add at the corner of my natural lashes for a more subtle effect.

Have you ordered anything from E.l.f lately or tried any of these products?

Sticking to what's best for ME!

Today I purchased quite a few skin care products from Neal's Yard using my 20% discount from Marie Claire magazine.

I have been using quite a few Neal's Yard products on and off for over a year now. Click HERE to see my first ever skincare post on this blog. I really should never have experimented with new skincare and should have stuck to what was best for me. I recently posted about how much I love the Olay UV fluid, but the chemicals inside it do concern me, I really do prefer natural organic skincare.

I have also tried other 'natural' skincare including Liz Earle (review to come), Dr Organics, and a few more brands from 'Planet Organic'. However, even though the products themselves are quite nice, I just don't like the packaging.

For me, Neal's Yard skincare has quality products and beautiful glass bottle packaging. *Perfect!*

Here's what I purchased...

My skin type is currently 'normal' with dry areas.

• JASMINE ENRICHING CREAM - This is the richest cream they do, it's for dry or neglected skin. It contains jojoba to help the skin retain moisture, vitamin E to protect and restore dry or sun damaged skin. I use this as a night cream as the texture is very thick, the scent is quite 'herbal'. My skin is in good condition, but I love sunbathing and used to go on the sunbed quite a lot, so I feel like this cream corrects damage.

• ORANGE FLOWER WATER - This toner is AMAZING, it's supposed to tone, refine dry skin and encourage a fresh glowing complexion. It contains neroli oil distilled from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Whenever I use this, my skin just feels and looks better. I don't know why my skin loves it so much, but it does.

• LEMONGRASS SUN SPRAY SPF15 - This is a 1st time purchase, so I can't tell you how it feels. I was told I should apply this after I apply my moisturiser for a layer of protection. The consistency is very light and sheer, it's quickly absorbed and hopefully will perform well.

• NOURISHING ORANGE FLOWER FACIAL POLISH - This is also a 1st time purchase. It's a gentle exfoliator to smooth and nourish dry skin which includes honey and orange flower oil. I was told to use it roughly twice a week.

• I also purchased a spray pump for my orange flower water and got samples of the calendula cleanser, re hydrating rose daily moisture cream which I have never tried and the wild rose beauty balm, (I always get samples of this as full size is SO expensive, the sample lasts me about 3 uses, I use it at night for an intense moisture mask.)
  POWER BERRY MOISTURE CREAM - This was the cream that was free with Marie Claire magazine, I have been using it everyday for almost 2 weeks in the mornings and decided to buy another magazine & get another freebie as it's £22 for 100ml in the shop, so £3.50 for 50ml is a bargain! The consistency is light and quickly absorbed. It smells really nice and I like that it has a matte finish on my skin even though it claims to give a dewy finish. It claims to boost radiance & protect youthful skin. It includes antioxidant rich acai, bilberry and goji berry to help fight the effects of free radicals.

I'm such an addict! Currently I use their vitamin E and avocado night cream which is suitable for all skin types. I will be alternating between this and the jasmine enriching cream depending on the amount of moisture I feel my skin needs. I also have a bottle of the rosehip seed oil to hand for a DIY face massage or to intensify moisture. Furthermore, I sometimes use their orange flower facial oil as an eye cream. As a facial cleanser/wash I am still using my beloved sebamed cleansing bar which I will probably use for the rest of my life, I have plenty of backups as I feel it really helps control and balance the PH level of my skin. I still love the Lush tea tree water, and Boot's original beauty formula vanishing cream for the hot and sweaty summer days.

WOW, that was a major skincare post!

Have you tried Neal's Yard?

Beauté: 'Neon' Liqui Gel Stain

I recently did a post on lip & cheek stains, and was recommended to try the Beauté liqui gel stain as the consistency was different to the average lip and cheek stain.

Let's take a look at the shade 'Neon'...

The colour as you can see is SO bright, pigmented and very neon orange.

The consistency is like a creamy, gel like liquid.that's not too watery which makes it easy to control as it doesn't drip or streak. It blends out very easily...

It becomes quite sheer once totally blended, and leaves a lovely peachy coral stain. It gives a subtle dewy creamy finish which looks lovely on the apples of your cheeks. It no way feels oily or greasy.

On the lips, it turns into a orange/coral colour that isn't as bright as the tube. It can be layered once dry to achieve a more intense colour. It can be worn under or over lipgloss or lipstick to achieve your desired look.

The photos below are with one coat of the 'Neon' liqui gel stain.

This is by far the best lip and cheek stain I have ever tried and well worth the £'s. It's priced at £24.50 on Coco Beau, roughly the same price as BeneTint. This product will be getting lots of love in the summer, where I wear a tinted moisturiser and probably just this on my cheeks. Ahhhh I can't wait for Summer!! Bring it on!

Liqui gel stains available in 4 shades.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review, I was not paid for this post & I am not affiliated with the brand. This is my honest opinion as always.

No need for words!

Product Rave: Olay UV Fluid SPF15

I have been using the Olay complete care daily sensitive UV fluid for over a week now, usually I would wait longer until I rave about a product, but I feel certain this product is amazing so I wanted to declare that as soon as possible.

The reason why I switched to this is because my Elemis maximum moisture cream had ran out and I didn't fancy spending £35 on a day cream that didn't even have SPF. I had used the Olay Beauty Fluid in the past and really liked it, so the last time I was in Boots I decided to pick up the version with SPF, and am so glad that I did. Not only have I been loving it, but so has my husband. We can't get over how moisturising yet light it is all whilst protecting our face.

The fluid itself is white that becomes sheer once blended, it looks gloopy but it's actually a very light consistency. I would describe the scent as a subtle mix between baby lotion and sunscreen.

Once the cream has been rubbed in, it becomes invisible on your skin. It doesn't leave any sort of greasy or oily residue, it's pure matte and looks like your own skin. My skin feels like it has had a moisture drink and doesn't feel tight or dry at all. The normal beauty fluid didn't give me this much moisture, I would say the UV fluid gives you double the moisture whilst still being light.

It's also a fantastic base for make up and friendly to your pocket. This product has been around for years and I am gutted I have just discovered it, what a slow coach!

Please note: SPF moisturisers can be quite tricky, as some of them tend to break me out, neither me or my husband have had a bad reaction to the UV fluid. Skincare is very personal, so what works for me may not work for you. Use at your own risk.

Price: £4.99 - 100ml

Have you tried the Olay UV fluid? Do you have any Olay favourites?

Favourite nude lip products!

There's nothing more I like than nude lips, they look sexy yet understated. I don't actually own too many, as I stick to what works for me. The ones below are the ones I adore and ones that I will repurchase..

• GOSH - DARLING: Is a very pale pinky peach nude colour, it's creamy and looks lovely on my lips teamed with a heavy smokey eye and any lipgloss.
• MAC - CREME D'NUDE: Is my favourite nude lipstick as it goes with anything, it's more peach than pink, and ever so creamy because of the creme sheen formula.
• MAC - HUE: Is a pink toned nude and I love wearing it during the day.
• REVLON - NUDE ATTITUDE: Is a peach toned matte nude, perfect for when you don't want to draw attention to your lips. It's also warmly pigmented enough to wear during the day.
• RIMMEL - NUDE DELIGHT: This one is actually my mums but I keep stealing it from her, it's a gorgeous peach toned creamy nude, works well during the day for even the palest skin tones.
• BODY SHOP - #46: This is the darkest nude I own, it's very peach toned and ever so creamy, this looks gorgeous with just mascara and eyeliner, no need for a smokey eye.

I 'think' I want Mac "Peachstock" lipstick to add to my collection, but I will have to compare it to the Bodyshop and Rimmel ones to see if it's similar. If they are different, then Peachstock WILL be mine. :)

See swatches below.

My favourite lip glosses to team nude lips with are the ones pictured below, this was hard to choose as I own SO much more lipgloss than I do lipstick.

• MAC - (LE) EMBER GLOW: Is the latest lipglass addition to my collection, it's such a beautiful peach colour that will work well with Body Shop #46, Gosh Darling or even on its own.
• MAC - UNDERAGE: Is a pinky peach nude lipglass and looks beautiful teamed with any nude lipstick or worn on its own as it's SO pigmented, love it!
• MAC - C-THRU: Is a peach toned nude lipglass and looks great teamed with any nude lipstick.
• MAC - (LE) ELLE: This looks pink or a caramel colour depending on the light, it's a very pretty lipglass that gets lots of attention even when worn on its own.
• ILLAMASQUA - EXPLODE: Is from the Dystopia collection, it looks white but has a pearly pinky lilac sheen, it looks gorgeous worn on its own or teamed with any nude lipstick.
• MAC - MORNING GLORY: This lustre glass has lilac and pink sparkles and creates a lovely mauve type finish when teamed with Creme d'nude, I love it!
• MAC - (LE) KITTY KOUTURE: This dazzle glass is a pale light pinky white with pink sparkles, it creates high shine to wherever it's added, I tend to use it on the centre of my lips.
• MAC - BABY SPARKS: This dazzle glass is pink with pink and blue sparkles, it looks gorgeous teamed with Gosh Darling.
• NARS - TURKISH DELIGHT: Is a beautiful milky pale pink colour with no shimmer, it's probably my favourite lip gloss. It looks amazing teamed with anything or on its own.
• BENEFIT - DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ME: This is my most purchased lip gloss, I have gone through about 10 tubes of it. This was the only lip product I would take with me on holiday in the past and I would use it every night. It's a milky pale peach that is quite simialr to Underage. It looks gorgeous on its own.
  
  

See swatches below.

I decided to reorganise my lip products again as the way it was before wasn't that practical, it was nice as everything was laid out but it got a bit confusing in the mornings. This time I organised them all by colour. I am such a freak I know. :)

TIP: Ladies do NOT keep products that you never use, they will just take up space, expire and shadow products that you love. Pass them on! I only ever keep products I use regularly.

My top 5 nude lip products that I would recommend are:

1. Mac - 'Creme d'nude' lipstick
2. Mac - 'Hue' lipstick
3. Mac - 'Underage' or Nars 'Turkish Delight' lipgloss (They are pretty similar!)
4. Mac - 'Ember Glow' lipglass
5. Mac - 'Morning Glory' lustreglass

But I LOVE everything I included in this post, so I want to include them all! :(

I am planning on doing this kind of post for pinks, corals/reds and brown lip products too! Yay or nay?

What are your favourite nude lip products?

Disclaimer: The body shop and Illamasqua products were sent to me, I was not paid to talk about them & I am not affiliated with them. This is my honest opinion as always.

Dr Perricone: No Foundation Foundation Review

You must have seen google advertise this product everywhere! I did, so I jumped at the chance to test it.

This is an oil free foundation that isn't supposed to look like foundation with an SPF of 30.

Here are the product benefits...

It comes with a pump applicator.

Available in one shade to suit all.

The consistency is quite creamy and light...

It dries to a semi matte finish..

What I like: It's great that it's light and creamy and has an SPF of 30, I found it easy to blend and apply and noticed an even skin tone after application.

What I dislike: The scent, it actually smells like 'copydex' glue, it's very fishy and I just can't stand it. I thought I had a dodgy bottle, but did some research, and no.. that's the scent. The fishy scent does disappear after about 10 minutes, either that or I get used to the smell. This product has no coverage, it should not be marketed as a foundation, it's more like a tinted moisturiser with no coverage, it just adds a sheer tint of colour and evens out your skin tone. The shade is perfect for me, but I can see it being too dark or too light for some people, so I don't see how this shade would suit all. I also think it's way too expensive for 30ml.

Will I use it? Yes, I hate wasting things so, I will try to use it in the summer when I want to wear no make up and protect my face, whilst evening out my skin tone despite the smell. I will not repurchase!

Would I recommend it? No, unless you have perfect skin and love the scent of fish.

Price: £41 - 30ml/1 fl oz

Learn more HERE.

Disclaimer: I was sent this for review purposes, I did not get paid for this post and I am not affiliated with the brand. This is my honest opinion as always.

Happy Mother's Day!

A happy mothers day to my wonderful mother and mother-in-law. Thanking you both so much for bringing me & my husband into the world to unite. We appreciate all the love and affection each and every day, not just today!

A Mother...

When you're a child she walks before you, to set an example.

When you're a teenager she walks behind you, to be there should you need her.

When you're an adult she walks beside you, so that as two friends you can enjoy life together..

(Image: Google, A mother quote: Anonymous.)

Denim Bow and Pink lips....

This evening, I straightened my hair, back combed the crown and pinned back the front section with some denim bow clips.

In keeping with the girly bow theme, I opted for pale pink lips!

I added far too many colours to my eyes to mention, think black eyeliner on the upper and lower lashline with lots of mascara, a golden peach lid and bronze / brown crease with Mac ''Coppering' e/s on the lower lash line.

CHEESE!

• FACE
• Bourjois 10hr sleep effect foundation mixed with Revlon photoready.
• Bobbi Brown tinted eye brightener.
  

• CHEEKS
• Mac 'Sun & Moon' mineralized blush.
• Mememe Beat the blues highlighter 'Sun Beam'
• Mac 'Moon River' mineralized grand duo on top.
• Mac Matte bronzer.

• LIPS
• Maybelline Pink Pearl Lipstick
• Nars Turkish Delight.
• Miss Sporty 'Plum Tart' lipliner.

QUESTION: Do you do your make up first or decide on what you are wearing first?

I usually choose my outfit first and do my make up accordingly, but sometimes I get so stuck on what to wear that I dash right to my make up. I then dress to match or clash with my make up.

Peanut's a soldier..

Peanut is now my little soldier, I took him to the vet yesterday for an x-ray as there seemed to be something wrong with one of his back legs when we found him.

The x-ray results came back to say that his bone wasn't fractured, but his ligaments, tendons or muscles were torn in his knee. They put his leg in a cast from his thigh to his foot in hope that it would heal as he is a puppy. I am so worried, :( they also said that if it didn't heal that they would have to amputate his leg. I can't understand why they would say that, surely there's an operation procedure to consider first. We took him to an RSPCA hospital, and I'm not liking them that much. I am also scared that the cast is too tight, I'm sure it isn't but I am just panicking. I actually shed a tear when I handed him in for x-ray, I can't believe how attached I have become. It was such a relief to have him back in my arms. He has to be in his cast for 3 weeks, and go for a check up every week, the poor thing!

His army print cast!

Snuggles!

Sniffles!

Last night it was hard for me to relax as Peanut kept chewing his cast, they should have given him a cone or something to stop him from biting it. Me and my husband went out to buy him lots of chewy toys and treats to keep him occupied, which helped a little.

I spent the night rocking him to sleep in my arms all wrapped up and slowly placing him in his bed, he woke up at 3am crying so I had to rock him to sleep in my arms again and then he fell asleep next to us, in our bed. He's such a baby!

He has been running around and jumping like normal, being a typical Jack Russell. It doesn't seem to be affecting him too much and hopefully within a few days he will be used to it.

I can't wait for him to get better!! I am so glad we kept him as I dread to think what might of happened to him.