Thursday 12 September 2013

Hair colouring disaster!

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! Without a decent camera, I've been reluctant to post with just iPhone quality photos but we finally got our DSLR fixed so whilst I'm at home I can use it! Yay!

Anyway... my hair is naturally quite a dull mousey brown so when I was finally allowed to dye my hair I leaped at the chance and since then I've dyed it quite a few times but only semi-permanently.  However I accidentally once dyed it permanently thinking it was semi-permanent and it kind of went down hill from there on out.  My roots became much more visible as I didn't dye it regularly (just when I was bored) and I kept meaning to go to the hair salon and see if the dye could all be stripped out but I just never got around to it.  So I was very intrigued to then find you can get DIY kits, so as soon as I was out, I bought the Colour B4 Hair Colour Remover Extra Strength for £8 in Tesco.  I was so excited to finally restore my hair back to it's former glory and my friend Jess came over to help me document the process so here it is alongside my thoughts...


So this is a picture of my hair before starting anything.  Yes it was definitely in need of a good wash and yes I am wearing a bin bag! Bin bags are actually a great protector of clothing when it comes to dying hair and saves you ruining even those old clothes you no longer love. The picture makes my hair appear orange toned but it was more maroon toned than orange.

Firstly I got all the products out of the box and they are conveniently clearly labelled by letter as to avoid confusion which not all dyes are so good at doing.  You get a pair of plastic gloves, the activator, the remover and the after treatment buffer (shampoo).  I was disappointed that there was no specialist conditioning treatment with this as my hair felt considerably dry after the process.


The first step I took was to put the gloves on which is essential before opening any of the products to avoid any staining or damage to nails/hands considering they will be doing all the work!


Next I read the instructions very carefully. If you're using any colour related hair products and don't understand something, make sure you find out by asking someone who is familiar with the process or Google it.

Before you do anything else, the instructions advise that you do a strand test to ensure the product does what you want it to and that you're not allergic to it.  I, very naughtily, didn't do this as I am far too impatient but you'll see why I wish I had later on...


When ready to begin, I mixed the activator and remover into container B ensuring I had gotten all the stuff out of product A. Now if you are thinking of using this product I have to warn you that it smells so awful with the scent lingering around for a further day after application.  It is therefore so vital that you ensure the room you are doing this in is well ventilated and if strong chemical scents affect you, do not use it.

After coming to terms with the smell, I ensured the lid was secured tightly and shook it vigorously for around 30 seconds/until it was all mixed together.

This step is optional but as my hair is quite thick I choose to do this.  I separated my hair into layers to ensure I got all of my hair evenly and then I secured the top layers in place with styling clips.


Then I removed the top lid and watched out for any product wanting to escape out the top due to the chemical reaction that just took place!




Once the lid is off I started applying the product to the roots and worked my way to the tips.  I had to be really careful though because it is very runny and will drip easily unlike hair dye that I find tends to stick to the hair a bit more.


After fully coating the bottom layer, I massaged it all in and asked my friend to check everything was coated in the product.  It's always better to either get someone to do this for you or if you're a control freak (like me!) do it with someone as they can see all your hair much better than you can and this will avoid you missing parts or the end result being uneven which no one has time for!


I repeated the application process to the top layers of my hair and then began to comb through my hair.  The box recommends using a wide toothed comb like the one I used but due to it becoming so tangled with working the product in and the product itself, this was not the best idea. I ended up ripping through my hair and my scalp certainly hurt from all the pulling so a tip would be to use a specialised detangling comb or brush like one from the Tangle Teezers range which you can buy from Boots from £10.99 by clicking here.


The box advises that the product works best in a warm room and even better with cling film as it retains the product and heat. So that is exactly what I did and left it for the whole recommended 60 mins.



After the hour was up, I jumped in the shower (not literally!) and removed all the cling film.  I proceeded to rinse the product for 5-10 mins as directed which in my opinion was a bit excessive but I did it anyway. Then it says to lather up and apply the after treatment buffer and use like shampoo.  I left it for a minute to absorb before rinsing for another 5-10 mins. After all that rinsing, it said to do it again which seemed even more excessive in time and the amount of tangles building up in my hair. Then I used my conditioner (Tigi Bed Head Styleshots Epic Volume Conditioner 750ml which you can buy from Amazon for £14.32 by clicking here) as my hair felt way too dry to just blow dry after buffering.


Shortly after getting out the shower, I proceeded to dry my hair using my GHD Air (review here) and regrettably my hair was not it's natural mousey brown but BRIGHT ORANGE! I think it goes without saying that this product did not work for me and probably did more harm than good.

So after a mini break down, I swiftly hopped in the car and was on my way to Tesco in no time at all to rectify the disaster that had occurred because I definitely did not suit orange hair (I say orange and not ginger because ginger hair is nice and this shade I had been left with was definitely not nice!).  I have previously used dyes from L'Oréal's Casting Crème Gloss range, Clairol's Nice 'n Easy range (including the foam one) and some others I don't recall the brand names of.  I had heard many good things about the Garnier Olia range including the fact it has no ammonia and is made up of many natural oils rather than purely artificial chemicals.  I bought shade 6.0 Light Brown as it was a pretty close match to my natural colour (just more glossy).  It was £6.99 which is slightly on the pricier side of dyes (talking a couple of pounds more) but is currently on offer in Tesco for 2 for £10.00 so if you're dying your hair with a friend, a nice way to get £2 off each!


In the box you get the developer cream, colourant cream, after colour care (conditioner), the bottle and a pair of black gloves (much nicer than the ones in Colour B4).  The box also doubles up as a bottle stand which you can see below.

Before beginning, as this time it's dye, I ensured nothing around me could be damaged by the colourant and wore old clothing.  This time I actually forgot to do this but is a great tip from my friend Louise... she told me that if you get some Vaseline (which you can pick up for around 99p in various stores) and apply it over your eyebrows, ears and hair line, it will prevent the dye from settling there and dyeing your skin/eyebrows!


After putting the gloves on, I tore along the perforated edge on the side of the box (harder than it looks) and positioned the bottle in it.


I then squeezed all of developer and colourant cream into the bottle whilst also ensuring all the cream had come out.


Next I secured the black lid without removing the cap and shook the bottle until all the cream had mixed to the correct consistency and was all one colour.  Immediately after shaking, I snapped off the black cap to avoid the bottle exploding under the pressure of the chemical reaction.


I then went on to apply the dye all over just like I had applied the Colour B4 treatment and left it for 30 mins.  Application was so easy with the bottle and was nice to hold too.  Surprisingly the scent was not at all strong and was actually slightly floral which is always a bonus!  After the development time had passed, I rinsed my hair until the water ran clear and used the after care treatment to enhance the colour.

Due to how dry my hair was now feeling (no surprise), I made sure to protect my hair from the heat using my GHD Heat Protect Spray which you can buy from Feel Unique for £9.95 by clicking here. I was actually given this at the GHD stand at my university's 'Freshers' Fair' last September because the stylist loved that I had the hairdryer and stylers!

I also added some of Tigi Bed Head Small Talk which you can get for £13.75 from Feel Unique by clicking here. I am planning to write a full review on this as it is too amazing to sum up in just one sentence so for now I'll just say it does everything you could ever want a serum to do!

Then I proceeded to blow dry my hair again with my GHD Air and straightened it after with my GHD Stylers.

I am so happy with the colour it turned out to be. It's not exactly like my natural colour but it's not far off. I really recommend the Olia range and is by far my favourite hair dye product that I have used to date. My hair feels silky, looks glossy and is evenly coloured. Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to meddle with the colour of my hair as I don't think roots will become so visible as it is a close colour match but we will have to see.

I hope you enjoyed this incredibly long post and that it helps you in some way. I'd be very interested to hear if any of you have had any hair colouring mishaps and what caused it... might make me feel a bit better! I'd also love to hear if Colour B4 has ever worked for you because there are so many good reviews on the Boots website that I feel silly that my hair went orange!

See you in the next post!

L x

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover | Latest in Beauty - Ultimate Summer Nails

Hello everyone!

This is the first review of the products I received in my most recent Latest in Beauty Collection box and it is the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover.

I hate it when I'm about to repaint my nails and you see the tiny fibres of cotton wool stuck to your nail which therefore add imperfections to your nail polish and as a perfectionist when it comes to nails, it would be enough to get me to start all over again! So you can tell why I'd be so intrigued as to try this product... does it really work?

It says that it has a red fruit and vanilla fragrance but it smells just like any other standard nail varnish remover. This really doesn't bother me and I don't think it would anyone else.  Nail varnish remover is expected to smell like nail varnish remover so not a negative point really, just curious as to who at Bourjois thinks it smells like red fruits and vanilla! *After removing my nail polish, I always wash and moisturise my hands immediately following removal.  Therefore I totally missed that the bottle itself doesn't smell like red fruits and vanilla like I previously said but it is indeed the scent that is left lingering on your hands that does and boy does it smell nice! Major plus point now!*

As for the nourishing sweet almond oil, I can't say that it feels particularly nourishing as I've not known any nail varnish removers to be but if it has nourishing factors to it then who's to turn that down!

The beauty and selling point of this product is that cotton wool is not required.  Inside the bottle there is a large sponge with a hole in it.  Basically you put your finger in the hole and either twist your finger around the sponge or twist the bottle around your finger until your nail varnish has gone.

So far I have just used it to remove Essie nail polish (3 coats) which had Seche Vite on top. It claims to remove nail polish in 1 second which sounds far too good to be true and unfortunately in this instance it is. However it did only take around 8 seconds per nail which is still really fast compared to pouring nail varnish remover onto cotton wool pads etc.

This product is limiting in that you can only use it on your finger nails and not your toe nails (I have tried!) but this could easily be sorted if Bourjois widened the neck of the bottle and shortened it so you could use it on all nails.


It is great if you are going away for a few days or travelling anywhere because you don't have to take the whole bottle of nail varnish remover alongside the cotton wool pads.

Personally I love that I've finally gotten to try this product because I know that I will be regularly using this as I paint my finger nails more than my toes and it is a quick and easy, no mess solution to nail polish removal.

I got it in my Latest in Beauty - Ultimate Summer Nails box but it also retails in shops for around the £5 mark.  You can buy it from Boots for £4.99 by clicking here.

What does everyone else think of this product?  I'd be interested to see if anyone has tried it with glitter nail polish as I wear glitter nail polish quite frequently!

See you in the next post!

L x

*...* Comment added 12.09.13

Tuesday 6 August 2013

The Liebster Award...

Hello everyone!

The very lovely Cassie at Face Before Lace has nominated me for the Liebster award!

(I decided to glam mine up a bit!)

"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate other bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer.  It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."





11 Random Facts:

1. I'm not a fan of hot weather, I actually love normal English weather.

2. I really enjoy baking cakes or anything I can make look pretty!

3. I'm slightly addicted to scarves - my collection may be getting out of control!

4. I adore London, no matter what I'm there for, I am always so happy!

5. A little bit of a Disney fan would be a huge understatement.

6. My favourite colour changes pretty much all the time but I'd say pink is a solid all time favourite.

7. I have always wanted a dog, more specifically... 3 Basset Hounds!

8. I love orchids, I think they're so gorgeous and improve any room.

9. I watch a lot of American TV Dramas from Gossip Girl to Vampire Diaries, Suits to Friends.

10. My favourite film is... well I have a few but I think Harry Potter beats them all.

11. I'm definitely a town/city girl and not a countryside one.


Cassie's 11 Questions:

1. Describe yourself in one word?
Determined.

2. Your most loved skincare product?
I haven't really found one that I all round love yet so I'll say the Body Shop Body Butters because they all smell incredible. 

3. What made you get into blogging/Youtube? 
A love for cosmetics and wanting to find the best deals. 

(She missed out number 4!)

5. Your favourite person to watch on Youtube? 

6. What is your go to jewellery item? 
Any short necklace, usually silver. 

7. What is your goal for your blog? 
For it to be a place to talk about all things beauty and to meet lots of new people. 

8. Your go to makeup and hair product? 
Make up - Max Factor Masterpiece Max in Black 
Hair - TIGI Bed Head Small Talk 

9. What to want to do for your career in the future? 
Not entirely certain, I'm studying Hospitality Management at the moment so maybe something in events. Who knows?! 

10) Most loved fashion piece?
All my scarves!!

(She missed out number 11!)


My 11 Questions:

1. If you were only able to use one mascara for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

2. What is your favourite nail polish?

3. Which brand of make up do you own most of?

4. If you only had time to put three products on in the morning, which three would it be?

5. What colour do you wear the most?

6. What made you choose the colours that you have on your blog?

7. What is your all time favourite shop?

8. What cosmetics are you wearing right now?

9. Which cleanser are you currently using?

10. If you could design a make up collection for a well known make up brand, which brand would you most want it to be under?

11. What/who sparked your love for all things beauty and fashion and what do you love most about it?


I nominate:

Rachel at Vintage Strawb
This is my cousin Rachel's blog and although I may be slightly biased, it is literally so lovely! She posts about all things vintage and it is well worth following her!  Among the top of my favourite blogs ever and she writes really well.  You'll be the one missing out if you don't go take a look!

Millie at MillieMagpie
She has such a cute page highlighting products she loves and also shares reviews and her thoughts on anything make up or just pretty!

Alex at Tatton Talks
Alex is a relatively new blogger like myself with a few great posts on lip products from Rimmel London. Go check this budding blogger out!

Georgia at Pastel Coloured Rainbow
Georgia has a lovely blog with lots of content in every post! I especially love her nail polish post about Models Own and Barry M, her taste is great!

Daisy at Daisy Dear
Daisy's blog is so professionally made already and her posts are so good.  Great photos and interesting thoughts on the products she has talked about.

Lauren at Lauren Evie
Recently stumbled across this girl's blog and she is from the same county as me!  I love Lauren's style and her title banner uses gorgeous colours!


I recommend checking out any one of these bloggers, they're all pretty great!

Thanks again to Cassie at Face Before Lace - be sure to check out that blog too!

Please comment if you answer my questions in a post, I'd love to read them!

See you in the next post!

L x

Friday 2 August 2013

Real Techniques Brushes

Hello everyone!

I have been using the cheapest brushes (ecotools) that you can buy in Boots since my interest in cosmetics began so I thought it was about time that I upgraded! I now have a lovely brand new set of brushes from the well known Real Techniques range by Samantha Chapman.

This is how they are packaged, the boxes are a devil to get into but well worth it!

They come with these fantastic cases that double up as stands so not only can you protect all your brushes, you can also see them!

The brushes feel extremely luxurious as the soft rubber on the end feels amazing and the bristles are so soft.

I got two sets and one other brush.


This is the eye shadow starter kit set which I received for my birthday. I am so excited to try these out as I haven't yet because they looked too nice and clean to mess up!

In this set you get:

Deluxe Crease Brush
Base Eyeshadow Brush
Brow Brush
Pixel-point Eyeliner Brush
Accent Brush


The second set I got was the core collection and the extra brush is the expert face brush.

Again the brushes are so soft and luxurious, a big step up from my old brushes. They look like they will work fantastically. 

In this set you get:
Buffing Brush
Contour Brush
Pointed Foundation Brush
Detailer Brush

With regards to costs, I purchased these in Boots but I am aware that other websites sell them for cheaper such as Amazon.

Boots
Eye Shadow Starter Kit: £21.99
Core Collection: £21.99
Expert Face Brush: £9.99
Total: £53.97

Amazon
Eye Shadow Starter Kit: £16.62
Core Collection: £18.12
Expert Face Brush: £9.99
Total: £44.73

Clicking on the prices will take you to the product on the stated website.

They are costly in the short term but as long as they are looked after well, they should last a good few years.

Also they are something you would use every day so in my opinion they are a great investment!

Do you have any of these brushes? What do you think of them? Any other brushes you use and recommend?

See you in the next post!

L x

Thursday 1 August 2013

Latest in Beauty - Ultimate Summer Nails Menu

Hello everyone!

So I am now definitely hooked on these Latest in Beauty collection boxes! I am never disappointed! This is my second one and it is such a bargain!


In the box I got:
Essie Sleek Stickers
Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover
L'Occitane Hand Cream
Butter London Nail Polish
The Vintage Cosmetic Company Nail File
Rituals Nail Varnish Corrector Pen
Nails inc Polishes

I've recently fallen head over heels for the Essie nail polishes so when I saw there was a pack of Essie nail wraps in this box, I knew I had to have one. The nail wraps retail in Boots for £9.99 so I couldn't believe they came in a box costing just £14.95 with tons of other stuff! It's crazy!

I'd also always wanted to try the Bourjois Magic Nail Polisher remover which came in it's full size in the box so even more brilliant.

I cannot wait to start trying out these products properly and tell you all what I think! Have any of you bought the box or tried any of the products? What do you think?

See you in the next post!

L x

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original Formula | Latest in Beauty - The Glamour Beauty Edit Box

Hello everyone!

This is my second review from the products I've been trying out from my Latest in Beauty - The Glamour Beauty Edit Box and unfortunately it's not a great one...

I have naturally very frizzy and wavy hair so I am always on the hunt for the next best frizz relieving serum.  This particular serum I had purchased in the full size a good few years ago and thought it produced pretty average results.  My hair wasn't as bad as if I'd left it totally alone, but it wasn't by any means frizz free.

So after many years have passed, I was eager to give this another try.  Things change so I was hoping that it would produce better results.  However I was very disappointed.

The product made my hair look very greasy immediately after blow drying it even though I had not applied it to the roots of my hair where I actually get the most frizz.  So not only was my just washed hair looking greasy and not clean but it also wasn't in the slightest frizz free.  I was so disappointed that I had to rewash my hair!!

The John Frieda Frizz-Ease range is definitely more affordable at £6.29 than those products in salons selling for well over £15 but in my opinion, this particular product it is not worth anything and you would be better off spending a bit more to receive results worth talking about, for example, Bed Head Small Talk is my new frizz saviour (review to come soon).

The only other Frizz-Ease product I have tried is the 3 day straight spray of which I can assure you does not make your hair stay straight for 3 days if you have hair like mine!  Apart from that I have never tried any of the other Frizz-Ease products so if you have, I'd be really interested to know how they worked for you and if it's worth trying them.

You can purchase this product from Boots by clicking here for £6.29.

See you in the next post!

L x

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Vintage Minnie Minis by O.P.I. and Disney

Hello everyone!

This is the first of my birthday goodies posts!  I actually received this gift today from two of my best friends, Louise and Alex who obviously know me very very well.  I love anything nails and I love pretty much anything Disney so this set of minature O.P.I. nail polishes in Minnie Mouse colours couldn't be more of a perfect choice for me because after all, a girl can never have too many nail polishes...


They're in miniature size which is great for popping in your handbag in case of any accidental chips on the go because who really likes chipped nail polish?

Reds and pinks are the most commonly worn colours on nails and are suitable all year round.

I really love these colours because 'The Color of Minnie' is such a strong red but not too bright it looks tacky and not too dark that it looks like blood.  The pink is gorgeous too and not like any of the pinks I have in my collection; not too 'Barbie-ish' and not so bland it looks like you have no nail paint on.

My favourite has to be the 'I'm All Ears' one which I will definitely be trying out first.  Not only is it a beautiful shade of red, but it has a stunning shimmer through it and who doesn't love a bit of shimmer?!


As for the quality of the O.P.I. Nail Lacquers, many salons use them because they known for their high quality.  However this means that unless you are able to buy them at salon wholesale prices, they are quite costly at around £10-£15 for a standard sized bottle.  Personally I feel that it is too much for a nail polish considering I like to change mine so often and experiment with lots of different techniques so it's great that they have to miniature sets for sale making great gifts for your friends or nice little treats for yourself.

A way to get around these prices is to go into your local Sally's or any other O.P.I. stockists and see if they have a clearance section.  I own a couple of O.P.I. Nail Lacquers that I bought for just £4 in full size because they had discontinued that particular colour.

One thing I have yet to mention is the RapiDry Top Coat.  For around two years this was my 'go to' top coat and I purchased it in full size for £13 in Boots around 2 or 3 times.  It is a great top coat however since I started blogging and watching YouTube beauty videos, I discovered Seche Vite Rapid Dry top coat which I find to dry much quicker, leave much more of a shine and chip less.  Seche Vite is a fantastic product that I will fully review in the near future.  This O.P.I. top coat is much better than many of the high street ones but I have yet to find another top coat to beat Seche Vite.

Thank you to Louise and Alex for getting me this set, I love it very much already!

See you in the next post!

L x

Benefit The Porefessional | Latest in Beauty - The Glamour Beauty Edit Box

Hello everyone!

This is the first post regarding the products I've been trying out for the past month that I received in this box.  First of all I chose to start my reviews on a product that I now love!

I have tended to shy away from benefit products due to the price of them and I never found the quality to be particularly amazing.  However, this product has been amazing.  I've never tried a product before that claims to minimise pores nor have I been particularly adventurous when it comes to primers so this product sets the bar now very high and rightly deserves it's title of best selling primer in the UK.

Of course I am talking about Benefit's The Porefessional.  It states that it is a "PRO balm to minimize the appearance of pores."  and it most certainly does...

When I was first trying the product I was so skeptical and also after squeezing it out thought it was pointless even trying because it was not my shade at all and felt so dry.  Boy was I wrong! This stuff blends to any skin tone and applies to your skin as if you were applying a cream made purely of silk to your face and it makes your skin so smooth too.

One thing in particular I really picked up on was that it was so lightweight, you really can't feel it on your skin like you can with many other primers.

Pores were made to appear visibly much smaller and it actually helped my make up stay put all day more so than without it.  I feel it makes my skin look much healthier and in much better condition than it is in.

I recommend this product to anyone and everyone!  It is costly at £24.50 but it is worth it I can assure you!  I have already purchased the full size for myself.


You can purchase this at your nearest benefit counter where you will be able to properly try before you buy to see the results for yourself.  Alternatively you can buy it from the benefit website by clicking here.

See you in the next post!

L x

Too little time in the world...

Hello everyone!

So I haven't written anything in a while after having written on many consecutive days so I'm sorry!  Anyway, this post is just to say that I am definitely going to be posting more because I find the time and not simply because I have a bit of time here and there.  Posting has become less frequent due to finding my temporary full time job for the summer but hopefully now I have blogger on my iPhone, I can blog here, there and everywhere!

Even though I haven't been posting myself, I have definitely been keeping up to date with all those that I follow and I am thoroughly enjoying being a part of the blogging world! All your blogs make for great and interesting reads.  It's great to find undiscovered products that could become essentials!

It has also been my 19th birthday in the last month which meant I got the opportunity to go on a shopping trip with my mum and I found myself lots of beauty goodies.

I'm really excited to talk about all the new beauty products I've been trying as I've recently discovered so many that I now couldn't bare living without!

See you in the (very soon to be posted) next post!

L x


Sunday 16 June 2013

Latest in Beauty - The Glamour Beauty Edit Box

Hello everyone!

As a student you never know when you may need that extra bit of money to fund a book for an assignment or someone plans a great night out that costs that bit more so it's hard to budget sometimes for things you don't necessarily need but really really want i.e. beauty products! I have always wanted one of those beauty box subscriptions where you pay monthly but I never knew if I'd be able to pay it each month. Enter the Latest in Beauty collection boxes.  I found out about this website from someone else's blog who was writing about their disappointing 'Glossy Box' and a follower had commented about Latest in Beauty so I went to check it out.


Basically their collection boxes are a one off purchase and vary in price depending on the box you want because there are many on the go at once.  They have a list of all the items in the box and, unlike what I hear the subscription boxes do, they send you everything in the box so you won't have something different to someone else.  To me, this is a much fairer and less stressful way of ensuring you get what you want in your box.

So you choose if you want the box at that time, choose if you want to buy a cheaper one or splash out on a slightly pricier one or just totally avoid it because you wouldn't use any of the stuff.  This to me makes so much sense!

Price wise I think the subscription box services are roughly £12-14 and the box I have cost £14.95 which is a little pricier but you get better products, more stuff and no subscription.  Also there are cheaper ones available.

Anyway, so that was a kind of long description of the boxes but hopefully it made some sense to someone!  Onto what I got in my Glamour Beauty Edit Box...


I am super excited because very soon I will be posting in detail about all these products so watch out for that one!

You can buy this box for £14.95 (delivered) by clicking here.

I hope this post has helped those who didn't previously know what bloggers were on about when they talk about their 'Glossy boxes' or 'Birch boxes'.

See you in the next post!

L x

Saturday 15 June 2013

L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Nail Polish

Hello everyone!

I was looking in London on a shopping trip for that perfect beige/mushroom nail polish and came across this L'Oréal Paris Color Riche one in 104 - Beige Countess and it doesn't disappoint!  The nails in the photographs are my sister, Melissa's, who kindly let me use her as my hand model because she has much nicer nails than I!


Anyway, the colour is fantastic! I love it so much and this is actually my second bottle as I used the other one up so quickly!  The best thing is, is that it goes with absolutely everything so you can wear it all week without worrying about it clashing with your clothes.  It also will last all week providing you're treating them well!


I love that the brush isn't too wide that you can't use it for smaller nails but not too thin that it's hard to get good coverage.  It was of perfect width for me.

However, what I dislike about this nail polish is that it takes 3 thin coats to achieve the correct colour but it does dry reasonably quickly between coats if you apply it thinly and evenly.  I also don't like that after purchasing it is very fluid and therefore can be tricky to apply at first but then it turns very thick after a month or two making it even worse to use.



Overall, I love the colour and don't find it too bad to apply.  It's very easy to paint them due to the brush you just have to watch out for the consistency.  I will definitely be buying this again when it runs out and will definitely be browsing their other colours!

You can buy this nail polish from Boots for £4.99 by clicking here.

See you in the next post!

L x


Thursday 13 June 2013

ghd Air

Hello everyone!

So here's the post I thought I would have posted yesterday if it had been ready but it wasn't. But (yay) now it is...

I asked for a new hairdryer for my 18th expecting a standard 'does the job' hairdryer but my lovely parents got me a ghd air one as a surprise!  Now I have it, I have no idea how I would live without it!

So it used to take me a good 45 mins to an hour to dry my air with a 'normal' hairdryer but I can now dry it between 10 and 20 mins because ghd air is more powerful with a 2100W motor and incredibly also much quieter than a salon hairdryer with the same power. I have naturally very frizzy hair which was usually made worse by blow drying but this actually makes it far better!


It comes in a lovely box with the usual black and gold design of other ghd products and comes with two concentrated nozzles to choose from.  The difference is that one nozzle is thinner than the other.  I personally use the wider nozzle.  It also has a 3 metre long wire making it so much more practical if your bedroom mirror is far from your nearest socket.


One of my favourite features is the cold shot button on the opposite side of the power and heat buttons.  This is fantastic for setting your hair in place and means that often when you blow dry you don't need to straighten it too!  Less heat = better for the hair and you're saving the planet without using the extra electricity! Everyone wins!

You also have the varied power and heat settings to tailor the hairdryer to how you like to dry your hair as well as changing the nozzles.


I have only one qualm with the ghd air and that is after 5 or 10 mins it starts to get quite heavy but it doesn't bother me too much.  However there are a lot of features that cancel out the fact it's heavy!

This hairdryer has a RRP of £99.00 but you can buy it from Amazon by clicking here for £89.00.  Obviously this is a lot more money than a standard hairdryer but it does so much more for your hair than a standard hairdryer does so in my opinion it is totally worth the money.

See you in the next post!

L x

So long Google Friend Connect! Hey there Bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hello everyone!

So as you might already know, Google are looking to remove their Friend Connect gadget to follow blogs with.

Enter Bloglovin!

You can follow me via Bloglovin using the link posted at the top of this post.

See you in the next post!

L x

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Dolce & Gabbana - the one

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for posting yet another perfume review but I want to post at least one blog post every day and my ghd air post isn't quite ready! However you can expect the ghd air review tomorrow but for now it's another perfume.

So I received 'Dolce & Gabanna - the one', which was released in 2008, as a Christmas present from my parents in 2012 after I said I liked it out shopping with my mum.  She bought me the gift set that came in a beautiful box that had a gold lid with 'Dolce & Gabbana, the one' written across the top which I loved!  It also comes with a body lotion which I have yet to try!


As for the design of the bottle, I like the gold but I don't think the bottle is feminine enough considering that's what it is supposed to portray.  For the name and the scent I think the bottle should have been delicate and not bold.

I have the 30ml size bottle and considering I only wear it every now and then because it's my special one, it hasn't really lasted too long.  As you can see I only have about a third of the bottle left and have had it for six months.


The scent is strong and noticeable at first but does not linger long so I always feel like I'm topping up which probably relates to why it's so empty over a short period of time.

However to me it's one of my favourite ever scents! I just smell it and like melt.  It's quite a fruity scent; similar to peaches with hints of orange but also with notes of amber, vanilla and musk.  I really recommend trying this perfume.

The gift set is most often the same price as the standard 30ml bottle.  It's RRP is £41.00 but you can buy it buy clicking here from The Perfume Shop for £39.99.  It is a lot of money for an everyday scent but I think it's lovely as a special occasion scent.

See you in the next post!

L x

Tuesday 11 June 2013

The Body Shop - White Musk

Hello everyone!

So I know I did a perfume review yesterday but I discovered this eau de toilette by The Body Shop in White Musk today in my bedroom so I thought it appropriate to review today!  I was bought this eau de toilette in a mini travel set which also came with a make up bag, a miniature shampoo and conditioner and a miniature mango shower gel. 

Anyway, so as I said, it's a White Musk scent and is in a relatively plain bottle as it's a high street perfume.  I have the 30ml bottle so it's also pretty small in size so very handy for travelling.




The scent itself is advertised as a mix of musk, lily, iris, rose and vanilla. Smelling it at first, well I think it smells like vodka! But leave it for a couple of minutes and it develops into a more tender smell.  It reminds me very much of the smell of a classic bar of soap so it's quite a clean smell as if you've just showered or bathed.

As for my opinion, I kind of like it but it's not something I would particularly choose for myself but I'm sure others would like it.  To me it doesn't have that kind of special perfume smell that you get from pricier, designer bottles.

However it is very highly rated on The Body Shop website so it may be worth a look at next time you're  shopping as this 30ml bottle retails at just £10.00!! So if you're on a budget it would be well worth looking at their range of fragrances as there is a large selection.

See you in the next post!

L x