Wednesday 31 July 2013

Goody Quikstyle paddle brush


My hair is really thick and takes quite a while to blow dry which isn't ideal when I wash my hair in the mornings before work so when I saw that Goody had brought out a paddle brush which contained micro fibre bristles I had to buy it to see if it was as good as I imagined it to be.


It is a typical paddle brush in shape and size but in between the bristle there are microfibre bristles and Goody claims that these help to reduce drying time by up to 30%.


I found that the brush did slightly reduce my drying time but it also helped to smooth out my hair so that it didn't take as long to straighten.

If you have long hair then this could be your saviour. I would like to see a slightly smaller brush with the microfibre bristles for people with shorter hair to use.

The Quikstyle is £12.49 and available from Boots.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Schwarzkopf Color Mask permanent hair dye


Schwarzkopf brought out the worlds first hair mask colorant earlier this year and it seemed to come out right when my hair needed dying so I bought a pack to try.


I bought it in shade 586 warm mahogany.

It was easy to use, you take the lid off the mask pot, add the colorant, shake vigorously 40 times and apply to dry, unwashed hair.

I found that one pack wasn't enough for my hair, I had to really use it sparingly but like all other hair dyes they do recommend more than one pack for thick or long hair.

There was a slight smell of ammonia but nothing too overpowering. 

I wasn't too keen on the end colour, I have used better.

This is £6.49 and available from most beauty outlets but personally I would give this one a miss, there are much better products on the market.

Sunday 28 July 2013

MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette


I have MUA's Undressed palette and have used it that much some of my favourite shades have hit pan so when they released the Undress Me Too palette I had to buy it.


I like that there is a mix of pearl and matte shades that not only can be used as eyeshadow but also as eyebrow colours. Excuse my messy looking palette in the photo above!


On this palette the shades are named which makes creating looks a little easier. I'm not sure if these colours are going to be introduced to MUA's Fashionista fill your own palette range, it would be great of they did as I do have a couple of firm favourites already.



The shadows have quite a smooth texture and glide on my lids easily. The pigmentation is also really good but I haven't used the matte colours, I much prefer the pearl finish shades. I found that they also lasted the majority of the day but they do crease a little.

The palette is £4 so your can't really go wrong compared to some other 'nude' palettes this one is so affordable and I wouldn't even consider buying the others as I don't think the quality would beat this one.

This is available from MUA online and Superdrug stores. 

Saturday 27 July 2013

Bumble and Bumble Creme De Coco


About a year ago I found this in TK Maxx for £9.99 a bottle but as I being good I decided that I didn't need another shampoo and conditioner even though I really wanted to try it so I resisted and didn't buy it.

Almost immediately I regretted my decision and have trawled every TK Maxx I've come across since to try to find it again...with no luck :-(

So I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy these for full price from Boots: the shampoo was £18.50 and the conditioner £20.00. Yes they're pricey.

The scent is a light coconut and most importantly it doesn't smell artificial. For almost £40 for both I would have been seriously disappointed if they did.

I also decided that these were going to be for special hair days and not for everyday use as I simply can't afford £40 every month or so to replace but I have used these everytime I've washed my hair since I bought them.

From the first wash my hair felt and looked so much fresher, smoother and shinier. Sometimes my hair can look greasy straight after washing but with these I am going 3 days with out re-washing as my hair still feels fresh. My scalp feels slightly itchy but as long as my hair doesn't look greasy I can cope with this!  

I am really impressed with these products and have repurchased them already but I am gong to cut down on when I use them as I can't afford to use them as I am at the moment.

These can be bought at Boots or they are slightly cheaper on some online websites.

Thursday 25 July 2013

Review - MUA Every Lash Mascara


I picked up this mascara a while ago in Superdrug as it looked like a dupe for Revlon's Grow Luscious (amazing) mascara but for a fraction of the price.


The brush is a reasonable size which gives good definition and separates the lashes. I found it hard to build up the product and to volumise my lashes.

The mascara is a good black colour but I have to admit that it the best thing about this mascara.

During the day I do have a habit of picking my mascara off but when I started to attempt to pick this off it was like something I've never experienced before. It was like plastic. I did managed to get a bit off and it reminded me a bit of bin bag plastic. Then I tried to remove it properly and boy it didn't want to come off. I tried everything but it wouldn't budge. In the end I had to pick it off.

For £3.00 I wasn't expecting the world but I did expect more that what this actually was. I would not buy this again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is probably one of the worst products I have ever tried, and I've tried a lot!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Wednesday Wishlist - 42

 River Island




Bright Lime Double Layered Pencil Skirt - £20.00
Black Butter Wouldn't Melt Home Boy T-Shirt - £25.00
Beige Diamante Concealed Wedge High Tops - £55.00
Black Mesh Polka Dot Crop Top - £15.00
Rihanna for River Island Knot Front Thigh Split Skirt - £35.00


New Look




White Transparent Flap Stud Clutch - £12.99
Black Stripe Triangle Lock Clutch - £12.99
Paradise Chop Out Zip Top Clutch Bag - £9.99
Oscar Owl Mini Clip Frame Coin Purse - £3.99

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Nip & Fab Cherry Tarte Body Butter


I picked this up in Savers for a bargain price of £2.99. Did I need another body butter/lotion? Nope, but I couldn't resist this for such a bargain price, my mum even picked up the pistachio one too! I'm a bad influence!


The butter is lovely and thick and creamy and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. I personally prefer to use a butter in the winter months as it's much more moisturising and abit stickier than a lotion but as the scent was gorgeous fruity cherries I has to start using this straight away!

The scent is a cross between a cherry bakewell and juicy cherries, amazing!

This is priced at £7.95 from Boots but as I previously mentioned I picked this up for £2.99 in Savers so head down there fast as you won't be disappointed with this product.

Sunday 21 July 2013

Book Review - Santa Baby by Katie Price



The blurb....
Angel Summer is Katie's most popular character. We first met her when she was Britain's No 1 galmour model in Katie's first novel Angel, and then in Angel Uncovered. Now in Katie's seventh novel, Santa Baby, Angel's glamour days are behind her, she's happily married to Cal and hoping to have another baby. But, as ever, drama is just around the corner, when Angel meets her half sister Tiffany for the first time....

As soon as they meet, Angel and Tiffany feel as if they've known each other for years, and before she knows it, Tiffany is working as a stylist on Angel's TV programme, and going out with Raul, a Brazilian racing driver who has all the girls after him.

If only Angel's sexy bodyguard Sean could be as welcoming. Obviously he has things on his mind, like the kidnap threat hanging over Angel an her daughter Honey. As everyone gathers at Angel and Cal's mansion for Christmas, Sean's defences finally drop. But as he relaxes, Tiffany finds herself in terrible danger....


What I thought....
I read this on holiday (this review is seriously overdue) and I couldn't put it down. I have read all of Katie's previous books about Angel but if you haven't then you can get up to speed really quickly by reading this one alone. 

The chapters were quite short and snappy and this is one of those books where you say 'just one more chapter before bed' a few times before you actually put the book down and go to bed!

I have to admit though the ending was a bit of an anti climax, I'm not going to spoil it by saying why, but it was still a good story.

This along with Katie's other books are perfect holiday reads and if you like your chick lit then definitely give these books a try.


Pages....
352


Available on....
iPad, Kindle and old fashioned paper!

Saturday 20 July 2013

Review - No7 Beautiful Skin Foam Cleanser


I rarely use the £5 off No7 vouchers you get given when shopping in Boots but sometimes I do and buy new products I haven't tried before. This time I bought the Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for normal/oily skin.

I use this in the shower as it's quick and easy: simple pump and out comes the product. Perfect for use in the morning when I don't have much time.

The cleanser claims to gently remove make up and impurities whilst tightening pores leaving the skin feeling clean and refreshed.

I think this product is quite good, it did certainly make my skin feel clean and fresh but I haven't used it to remove make up as I use it in the morning opposed to at night. 

I can't remember when I started using this product, it must be a couple of months ago, but I still have some left so it lasts a good while.

This is priced at £9 for a 150ml bottle and is only available at Boots.

Friday 19 July 2013

100 things I love: Part 9

Previous posts can be found here

91. Travelling by train

 92. Peonies

93. Creme Brûlée

94. Cider

 95. 90's dance anthems

96. My iPhone 5

 97. Pic n Mix

98. Watching TV in bed in the afternoon

99. My feet being massaged

100. My mum and dad :-)


So that's it I've finally completed the 100 things I love challenge! I started this back on the 20th July 2012! Link me to yours if you've taken part too!

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Wednesday Wishlist - 41

New Look


Mint Green Embellished Neckline Peplum Top - £24.99
White Minnie Mouse Vest - £12.99
Navy High Shine Disco Trousers - £22.99
White and Navy Stripe Crop Top - £6.99


Oasis



Fluro Spot Scarf - £20.00
Animal Print Maxi Dress - £50.00
Zip Zag Clutch Bag - £25.00
Coin Purse - £6.00

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Review - L'Oreal gentle eye make-up remover


I find it hard to find a decent quality eye make up remover which isn't greasy or leaves residue so when L'Oreal brought out a new range of facial skincare products I really wanted to try their new eye make remover.

This is much more like a water than a solution and isn't greasy at all. I find that it removes my mascara really really well and doesn't leave any residue.

For £3.49 I think this is really affordable and as the quality is really good I have repurchased this already and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new eye make up remover product.

This is available from Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets.



Sunday 14 July 2013

Review - Yes to Cucumbers Colour Care Conditioner

This was a TK Maxx find and I'm really glad I came across it.


Yes To... do several different ranges including tomatoes, carrots, blueberries and this one cucumbers.

This conditioner is specifically for colour treated hair which is perfect for my un-natural red barnet. The bottle is a massive 500ml which even for me will last ages. 

The scent is quite fresh, no it doesn't smell like cucumbers, and it is really moisturising. A little of this goes quite a long way.

I don't really know if it prolonged my colour but I liked it that much I did repurchase it.

This was £3.99 and I bought it from TK Maxx.

Friday 12 July 2013

Review - L'Oreal Preference Mousse Absolue Permanent Hair Colour



After using semi permanent hair dye for quite a while I decided I needed something that wouldn't fade quite as fast, as I am red this is quite hard to find as red fades so quick, so I decided maybe a permanent hair dye would solve my problem.

As my hair is long and thick one box of dye was struggling to give a good coverage on my hair so when I saw that L'Oreal had brought out a new reusable mousse dye I jumped at the chance to try it.  


I bought shade 465 which is dark burgundy red.

The dye is really easy to use. No mixing is required, you only have to clip the top on the dispenser, shake 20 times and off you go.

One thing I did notice was the strong smell of ammonia. In fact it was very strong but I always used to buy ammonia free dye so I'm not used to the smell.

I used one and a half boxes of the dye and as the dye can be saved to use for touch ups I think the rest will give me an ample amount to give a good root touch up when I get round to it.

The colour didn't come out as bright as it looks on the box, it was more brown with a hint of red but everyone seemed to comment on how nice the colour was so I guess it wasn't bad at all!

This dye is priced at £10.99 a box and is available from Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Denman Brights Massage Shower Brush


A while ago Denman brought out a shower massage brush which aimed to invigorate the scalp whilst washing your hair in the bath or shower and to tease out any nasty tangles and knots. Originally the brush was only in black or a silver colour but now they have released a new set of bright neon coloured brushes! 


I received a sample brush in neon pink (girly or what?!) and I love it! The bristles look quite hard but they are really soft and when in the shower they really do give a good scrub on the scalp which I love as I do sometimes suffer from eczema and this irradiates any nasty flaky bits.



I like that it also has a handle which you slip your hand in between which means it's really easy to use and won't slip out of your hand.

This is prices at a purse friendly £3.50 and is available from Denman online.

Other colours are shown below:


*Sample