Haircare Haul

Over the past few months I've realised that it has been such a long time since I've treated myself to some haircare products. Obviously shampoo and conditioner are always necessities but I haven't found myself to be buying any other treatments or products so when I popped into town recently I decided it was time to change. Here's what I bought!

It is not secret that I love using TRESemme products. I am a massive fan of their shampoo and conditioner and have also bought hairspray from them in the past. After recently running out of my hairspray and having my sister steal and use all of my other it was time to invest in some new stuff. After eyeing the different products on offer I went for something which I've tried and tested in the past in the form of the TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold (4.) TRESemme have five different sprays in this range and the higher the number the stronger the spray is. I also went for the huge 500ml size, costing £4.69, knowing that it would last me a long time. However in addition I also got the smaller 100ml size in the same strength because it is perfect for travelling and carrying around with you. The smaller size cost me £1.69 from Superdrug also which was a bargain.

The next product which I picked up from Superdrug was this leave in treatment from the platinum strength range from TRESemme. Everything in the platinum treatment range was on offer for under £2 so I thought that this would be a complete bargain. I've never tried this stuff before so I'm really looking forward to seeing what results it brings. I'm not sure how much I paid for this but like I said it was under £2. Another selling point for me was that this can be applied to both wet and dry hair, and the product smells amazing too. 

My next purchase was in Boots. After recently finding out that Dove had brought out a new range called the Style+Care I was interested in trying out their products. One thing that my hair desperately needed was a new heat protect spray as I use a hairdryer almost everyday and straightners and curlers on occasion. Therefore from the new Dove range I got the heat protect spray, costing either £4.49 or £5.49, I can't exactly remember. This product also smells divine and I really love the packaging as well. 

My final two purchases were two necessities, shampoo and conditioner. With the TRESemme platinum strength being on offer I couldn't resist picking up both for only £2.45 each. I've used both these products in the past before and they make my hair look and feel amazing. Paired with the leave in conditioning treatment that I bought my hair has some serious pampering coming its way I think!

I'm so happy with all the purchases that I have made and I even managed to pick up some bargains, some products I love and even some products that I've never used before. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balm Review

When I found out that Rimmel would be releasing a new range of lip products at the start of October, I knew that I would have to check them out. Although Rimmel have released new shades for their lasting perfection lipsticks, it was the colour rush balms that I was excited to try out.

'Not An Illusion'

With a whole range to choose from, I decided to go for the shade called 'Not An Illusion' because I am a huge fan of nude/pink lip colours. I also thought that this would be perfect to wear on a daily basis, so I didn't want to try out anything to bold or bright. 

  Lip balms with colour in them are a new product to me. Before now I was regularly using lipstick or Vasaline and so the thought of something new excited me. 

  I've been really impressed with this product, right from the start of using it. The balm is so hydrating on the lips and applies so well. I like that the product looks like a massive colouring pencil as it makes putting it on so much easier. Also regarding the packaging, I love that the colour of it reflects the colour of the balm, which makes knowing what colour it is much easier. I was also worried that the balm would leave my lips feeling sticky, but I'm pleased to report that this hasn't been the case. 

As well as not feeling sticky, I was also surprised at how much colour are actually in these things. I was expecting a slight tint, but as it says on the packaging, the product really does give your lips a real colour boost.
  The fragrance that a product gives off can sometimes put me off. Happily I love the smell of these balms, they smell like vanilla essence and are super sweet. Just like the price. At only £5.49 each they are so affordable and competitive with the other products out there.

 Perhaps the only disappointing thing with this product is that it doesn't last that long on the lips. I find myself having to regularly reapply this balm, but maybe that should be expected as it is only a balm. However, this small inconvenience isn't enough to put me off this product, it is still very good.  

I've been wearing this product almost everyday throughout the month and have been seriously impressed with it, so next time you walk past the Rimmel products, I suggest you give this little gem a try!

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex Mascara Review

Ever since I have started to wear makeup, mascara has always been one product that I am a bit more experimental with. I have tried and tested a whole range of mascaras across many of the drugstore brands and one of which I find myself returning to is Rimmel London. 

  Whilst shopping in Boots a few weeks ago, I noticed that they were giving away the Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex mascara for free when you spent over £10 on other Rimmel products. This gave me the perfect opportunity to a) Get a free mascara, b) Buy even more makeup products and c) Test out a mascara that I had never previously used. 

  I am a massive fan of the Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara, with the bright orange packaging and so immediately this product seems like an extension of the original. Instead of the neon orange packaging, Rimmel have gone for this bright neon green which certainly stands out in my makeup bag. I really like the shape of this product and I think the colours work well together, making the product a bit more fun. 

  It is also extremely well priced, at only £6.99 from Boots and this is around the same price range as similar products making it really competitive. 

  

To illustrate the effect the product has had on my eyes, I have taken a photo without any mascara on. The product applies so well and the brush is huge, creating so much volume once applied. I think the formula is also really nice, as it isn't clumpy and doesn't stick your lashes together. The product claims to only need one coat, but to make my lashes really voluminous and full I do need to apply a few coats.
  One criticism that I do have of the product however is that I find it can take longer to dry than other mascaras out there. This means that I do get the annoying bits of excess mascara on my lids which is annoying when I have eyeshadow on and need to carefully remove it without ruining the rest of my makeup.

I think I do prefer this product to the original Rimmel Scandal Eyes, purely because I think you get a better product for around the same price and you can tell the difference between the two products. However, I'm still not sure if this mascara will beat Maybelline Falsies as my favourite, purely because I think the Maybelline mascara still makes my lashes longer. 

The pictures above and below show the effect the mascara has on my lashes. It is a lovely mascara and definitely a steal at the price you pay. It can be easily worn everyday and it certainly lasts all day yet removes so easily with makeup wipes at the end of the day. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a new mascara wanting to try something different.  

Beauty Haul

A few months ago I shared my recent purchases in a mini beauty haul. Since then however, I've found myself to have brought even more products from both Boots and Superdrug so I thought that I would share these. Some of the products I brought here were also in my other haul post, but these are repurchases and so I have included them to illustrate just how much I love them!

Firstly I went into Superdrug. On this trip I knew that I needed to pick up a few essentials and one of them was the orange and satsuma shower gel. I brought this product in my last haul and have used every last drop so a repurchase was necessary. It was so cheap at only 89p and it smells gorgeous. It is also really refreshing and lovely to use in the morning shower, even if this scent is not for you Superdrug have a huge range of scents to try out.

Another essential purchase for me was these cotton buds. I got these for 99p and they will probably last me a while considering there were 200 in this pack. They are a lifesaver for correcting any makeup mistakes such as eyeliner and mascara smudges and also for removing nail varnish from the skin if needed.

When I was at school Bic made pens. Apparently they now make razors aswell and these ones pictured above were my last unglamorous purchase. The colour of them was probably the deciding factor in buying them although they aren't actually a bad razor. They're called the Bic soleil lady and for a pack of 4 cost something like £2-£3

With the Autumn/Winter season officially here, I've been on the lookout for deep shades of lipstick to wear throughout the season. I've been a big fan of the Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel, although I was rather late to jump onto the bandwagon. However, in Boots recently I picked up this shade, 107 (wine) and have fallen in love with it. It cost around £5.49 which is a reasonable price for this type of product. 

I was also aware that Rimmel have recently brought out a new range of lip balms as well as some new lipsticks to their 'moisture renew' collection. Eager to try some of these products out I went into Boots and picked up one of the colour rush balms. A sucker for pink/nude shades I decided to try out the shade 'Not An Illusion' and I'm sure a review will be coming up soon. I think this also cost around the £5.49 mark. 

What I love about shopping in both Superdrug and Boots is that they always seem to have some amazing deals on. During my shopping trip, Boots were giving away a free Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex mascara when you spent £10 or over on Rimmel products. As I had picked up the two lip products I got this free when usually it retails at around £7-£8 so this was a real bargain. 

So my lip product collection is expanding and I am falling more and more in love with Rimmel products, I'm already looking forward to my next shopping trip!

Music Wishlist November 2013

When it comes to music, I am a massive fan of albums. I much prefer to have the physical album and CD in front of me rather than a download. As a result I have a healthy collection of CD's which I have been accumulating over the years and I've recently looked into the new albums that I would like to purchase.
  I usually buy all of my albums either from HMV or online at www.play.com. As the town I live in doesn't actually have anywhere that sells a wide variety of albums I tend to head over to play.com because they have some incredible deals on the albums they sell and I often get them for a much cheaper price than normal retailers. Another bonus is that play.com offer free delivery!

After browsing on the play website, looking through their top sellers as well as the pre-order chart, I now have a list of the albums I would like to purchase. Here's what that list looks like, in no particular order:

• Katy Perry- Prism
• Justin Timberlake- The Complete Experience (Part 1 & 2)
• Jason Derulo- Tattoos
• One Direction- Midnight Memories
• Tinie Tempah- Demonstration
• Lawson- Chapman Square Chapter II
• Passenger- All The Little Lights
• Macklemore- The Heist
• The Saturdays- Living For The Weekend
• Jessie J- Alive
• Rizzle Kicks- Roaring 20's

These are just a few of the albums that I feel I'd like to buy over the coming weeks and months. I would say that I have a mixed music taste, with the attitude of if I like it, I'll listen to it and so I don't put myself into a category. However, before I buy any of these albums I will probably give them a listen on iTunes so that I can be sure I will like the songs and won't be wasting my money. There are also other artists that I wish were bringing out albums but aren't at the moment and so sometimes it can be a waiting game. 

Face Of The Day: Alternative Makeup

Over the past few weeks I've been a bit more adventurous and experimental with my makeup. I thought I would share with you how I achieved this look.

These are all the products that I used to create this look, and although some are the same as my typical look, I've been trying to use the different products which are in my collection and rotate what I use.

Firstly I start off with my favourite foundation, the Colour Adapt in Natural from Max Factor. Once I find a foundation I love, I find it hard to persuade myself to try out new stuff just in case it isn't as good as my current one. I apply this to my face with a foundation brush, making sure it is fully blended.

I've noticed that the flash I used whilst taking these photos has made my face really pale. Anyway, this is my face once the foundation has been applied and blended.

Next I use the Helen E concealer, the yellow side of the compact, and apply this underneath my eyes to conceal any dark circles. If I have any big blemishes I also use the brown side to cover these up and then I set my base by using the Max Factor Creme Puff powder in translucent. 

My face after the concealer and powder stages

I featured this palette in my 'What's in my makeup bag?' post and explained that I had got this from the Clothes Show Live a few years ago. I don't actually think you can buy this anymore which is a shame because I have loved using the blush and bronzer from this palette. 

When I am applying the bronzer and blusher from this palette I usually take a blush brush and mix the two colours together on the brush. I then apply this to the apples of my cheeks as well as in the hollows of my cheeks very slightly. This product is quite shimmery so is different from my Sleek products, and isn't as pigmented but still gives a nice glow to your skin.

Face after the bronzer/blusher

Similarly to my typical makeup look, I use this eyeshadow quad to fill in my eyebrows and to apply some eyeshadow to my lids. I have no idea where this quad came from but it is so lovely and I will definitely miss it when it runs out.
  I start my using a small brush (shown above) to fill in my brows using the dark brown shade in the bottom right of the quad. To then define my brow bone, using the other brush I use the top left shade and apply it just below the brow. Finally using the shading brush I take the top right colour and apply this all over my lids.  

Filled in brows and eyeshadow applied

My go-to pencil liner at the moment is this little beauty from Max Factor. I am getting near the end of this product so will either have to go back to my other liners or purchase a new one soon. Anyway, I take this kohl pencil in black and use it to line my waterline as shown below.

Face after pencil liner

Now usually if this was my typical look I would use liquid liner to line my lash line, but for this look I do it a bit different. Instead of liquid liner I take the same kohl pencil and carefully line my lash line. I then take this shading brush made by Model's Own and carefully, without poking myself in the eye, blend the liner.
  It creates a softer line across the lashline and also blends nicely with my eyeshadow to create a different look. Sometimes if I've applied too much kohl I will just get the eyeshadow out again and apply some more to lighten up the look. 

Face after blending

To finish off the eyes I reach for my favourite mascara, Falsies by Maybelline and apply a couple of coats to both my top and bottom lashes. 

Eyes finished

For the lips I decided to go for something quite bright and fresh to finish the look. After wearing the Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks a lot recently I decided to go back and use this beautiful pink shade from The Body Shop. It is shade 57 and called 'Pink Flirt' and as suggested by the name it is a lovely pinky shade. What I love most about this lipstick is that you can build up the colour depending on how bright you want it to be. 

Finished look

As the lipstick is really hydrating I don't add lipgloss to this look. After this stage, the look is finished. This usually takes me about 10-15 minutes to do completely and I what I also love about this look is that it doesn't take as much effort to remove as the kohl pencil liner comes off much easier than liquid liner. 

Lipstick Review: Kate Moss for Rimmel 01,03 & 08

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks
L-R: 03, 08, 01

After recently deciding that I needed to invest in some new lipsticks, I decided to give a few from the Kate Moss for Rimmel collection a go. At the time I brought these Superdrug had an offer on so I got three of them, a nude shade, a pink shade and a red. Each lipstick usually retails at £5.49 each and can be found in places such as Superdrug and Savers in the UK as well as on numerous websites as well.  

Shade 03

Firstly, one thing that attracted me to these products were the packaging. I seem to be a sucker for black packaging as I was attracted to the Sleek products because of this and yet it has happened again here. I think that they just look really sophisticated and luxurious, and it must be amazing if your name is Kate as you get to have your name on the packaging too! 

  This first shade 03 is a pinky nude colour, and admittedly isn't my favourite out of the three. I think it is perfect if you have a dramatic eye look and so want to opt for a more natural low key lipstick but it is quite pale. I've also worn this on days where I want to keep my look quite natural and it is quite different from my other lipsticks.

Shade 08

The next shade, 08, is slightly brighter than 03 and has more pink tones in it. Personally I prefer this shade over 03, yet it still isn't overpowering or completely bland. I find these lipsticks really hydrating and glossy so never need to wear lipgloss alongside them. They also have considerable lasting power too, and I find I just need to reapply after eating and drinking etc. 

Shade 01

Finally, I decided to buy a red lipstick from the range in the form of shade 01 after my No. 7 one mysteriously vanished. This shade is very bright and it looks lovely on the lips although I haven't worn it very much yet because I haven't been to many events where I could recently. The lipstick itself in the packaging looks quite dark so I was surprised at first that it was so bright. However I do really like it and hope I'm able to wear it a lot over the winter and autumn. 

  All the lipsticks in this range have a distinct scent to them, which I'm still not sure if I like. Whenever I smell them they remind me of something but I can't put my finger on what, but they are very sweet and sickly smelling. The scent may not be for everybody, but the colours and lipsticks themselves are so lovely I don't think it should put off anybody who wants to try these out. 

I will definitely be going back into Superdrug very soon to expand my collection of these lipsticks because they are so reasonably priced and have a range of shades available. Rimmel and Kate Moss have also brought out a 'matt' range which I am excited to try because I have my eye on a few shades from there too!