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Saturday, 8 February 2014

Wishlist | Hair



I'm back with another wishlist! I have a bit of a beauty confession. I neglect my hair far too much. I mean, I do take care of it, but when it comes to making the most of it, I really don't do much. A lot of the time I leave my hair natural, or will curl it using my curling wand but that's about it. My sister on the other hand, is obsessed with her hair. She likes makeup but isn't too fussed, but when it comes to hair she seems to have every product ever made. I really want to start taking better care of my hair so have put together a wishlist of products I think would help me make the most of my hair.

I've really want to try the Moroccanoil Oil Treatment for ages. I have read countless rave reviews about it on blogs, and about how it's a life changer. I've never actually used a hair oil, but would love to see if it actually makes a difference to my hair. The price isn't as high as I was expecting either. I have also seen so much hype about the Tangle Teezer Compact Styler, my sister has one of these and loves it. I have really thick hair, and it's getting quite long now, so my hair can get knotty and difficult to manage. I really think this would be great for taming my wild hair. I've also heard these are great to use on fresher curled hair to soften the curls a bit.

I'm still not even completely sure what the Label.M Ressurection Style Dust is, but when I read the description I knew I wanted it. It's supposed to add volume to your hair and make backcombing effortless. I'm a fan of big hair, so think this would be great in my collection. TIGI are my favourite brand for haircare, their hairspray (reviewed here) is my all time favourite. I really want to try the TIGI Bed Head Ego Boost Split End Mender for a while. I'm always growing my hair as I love my hair long - the longer the better. Unfortunately, I'm also prone to getting a few split ends as a result of this. I really want to try this and see if it works, and I think it would make my hair look so much better - especially when I straighten it.

I still don't know why I don't own a pair of GHD Stylers. For ages I've wanted a pair, as they are supposed to be the bee's knees of hair straighteners. I've had my hair straightened once using my friends GHDS, and it just looked so much better than when I use my normal straighteners. I have really thick hair, so most straightening irons don't manage to straighten it very well. I really need to invest in a pair of these as I know I'll use them a lot. L'oreal Elnett Hairspray has become a little bit of a legend. Wheneve I ask anybody their favourite hairspray - this is it. I need a new hairspray and it's quite hard to find my beloved TIGI hairspray in stores.

Finally, I really want the TIGI Bed Head Small Talk. It's supposed to add shine, body and volume. 3 things which I love in my hair. I also love the packaging of this - how cute does it look?

So that's it for my current hair wishlist. Do you have any must-have products for your hair that I need to try?


Thursday, 6 February 2014

Yakee Candle | Wishlist


Okay, so I have a bit of a confession. I didn't used to see the obsession with candles at all. I mean, I like makeup and clothes and nail polish, but the whole candle hype just went over my head. I think it was made worse by the fact by sister always used to burn Cinnamon candles, and I can't stand the smell of Cinnamon. Everytime she burnt it, I thought the house was on fire!

Recently, I've actually begun to really like candles and I love how they can make a room smell. I've smelt quite a few types of candles but the main ones I'm impressed with are Yankee Candle. I love the huge variety they have on offer. I think I've got quite a particular taste in candle scents. As you may be able to tell, I love fruity scents and sweet scents. I'm not sure why, I quite like the floral ones but sometimes they're a bit much for me. I'm not a fan of the spicy ones either.

I really love all these scents and would love all of them. Let me know if any of the ones on my lists are ones you also love or if you have any suggestions for me.

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Monday, 3 February 2014

Illamasqua Loose Powder - Translucent | Review


Powder is one of the more boring things to repurchase, but it's also one of the most important. I have really dry skin, but I still need to make sure that I powder my skin to make sure I don't get any unwanted shine and that my makeup stays on my face. I've tried quite a few powders, but the one I always go back to is Illamasqua's. It has everything I would need from a powder.

The Claim:
'Express who you are through the way you look, then give it the perfect finish. Finely milled and perfectly matt, Illamasqua Loose Powder is soft and light, and fixes your make-up flawlessly, holding it in place while you hold everyone’s attention. A must in the kits of the Illamasqua Art Team when working on set.' 
My Thoughts:
I have this powder in translucent (it's not white - it doesn't show up as any colour on your face so don't worry about it making you look like Caspar the friendly ghost). I always get my powder in traslucent if I can, as I'm pretty pale and find that a lot of powders just look awful on me, by using translucent this combats the problem. I wouldn't recommend this is your skin is darker than medium though, it may look a bit ashy on your skintone.

Illamasqua's claim that this is finely milled is spot on, this dissappears into the skin and doesn't leave your skin looking cakey. It's also brilliant for removing shine. I use this on the center of my cheeks (where I get the most shine) and it completely mattifies it, and I'll have no shine on my face all day.

It also keeps your makeup in place all day, combined with a good primer and your makeup won't shift. I wear this everyday and find that my makeup will last until the end of the day. I don't have oily skin so I can't say for sure how it will hold up, but my sister has combination/oily skin and she loves it.

I have it in the loose powder format, which I do like but I think when I need to repurchase it I will go for the pressed powder version. The only reason for this is that I travel quite a bit (to and from uni - 4 hour journey) and I always worry when taking my powder as I don't want it to accidentally open and spill. This has never happened to me and the lid does fasten securely on. However, I think the pressed powder version is more travel friendly. This powder lasts for ever though, I think I've had this very tub for nearly 2 years now, and you can see I've still got loads left.

I really recommend this powder, I've already got my sister hooked on it and I don't see a need for me to ever try a new brand of powder.

Availability & Pricing:
Illamasqua Loose Powder is £23 and available to buy from Illamasqua.

Friday, 31 January 2014

Soap & Glory: Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara | Review

Sorry for the Awful Photo! I can't take photos of my eyes at all.
First of all, I'm really sorry about the awfulness of the eye photo. I took so many and this was the best that I could get, but hopefully it show how the mascara looks on my lashes.

The Claim:
'This super volume mascara creates amazingly, longer, fuller, fabulous lashes. Featuring SUPERFILL™ False Lash Fillers, SHINE AMPLIFIERS, NOFLAKE24 technology and super-fine no-clumps natural wax film formers. *While we don’t feel it’s ladylike to brag, we’re feeling particularly bullish about our mascara. (And hope after trying it you’ll agree that it’s absolutely marvelous.'
My Thoughts:
In my opinion, this is one of the best highstreet mascaras available on the market right now. Soap & Glory is often known for it's bodycare but it's recent venture into makeup has also been incredibly successful. I never usually think to look at Soap & Glory for makeup, but recently I have found myself loving their products, and I've heard so many good reviews on the rest of their range.

The above photo is me wearing two coats of this mascara, you could possibly do 3 but I think it would start to clump. I've done both the top and the bottom lashes and also haven't curled my lashes. I really like this mascara and love the effect it has on my eyelashes. I'd say it's more of a lengthening mascara but it does add some volume. I think for the price this is great quality and is comparable to some of my favourite high-end mascaras (such as They're Real). I realise the photo is not the best quality in the world (believe me I took tons, but I can't photograph my eyes at all) but hopefully it show you the effect you can achieve with this mascara. I like quite long lashes, but you can definitely create a more natural look if that's what you are looking for.

The brush is pretty big but I don't mind that. I find it easy to coat the lashes and the mascara doesn't flake off and smudge off either.

Availability & Pricing:
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast is priced at £10 and available from Soap & Glory.


Monday, 27 January 2014

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream | Review


The Claim:
'Burt's Bees' Lemon Butter Cuticle Créme gives your needy nails a helping hand. Nourish and moisturise nails and cuticles with this intensive, natural treatment. A touch of lemon oil makes your nails smell incredibly clean, healthy and beautiful, naturally.'
My Thoughts:
The biggest thing I love about this is the smell. I love all things lemon-scented. It's by far my favourite scent and I love it in my bodycare products. This has a gorgeous lemon smell that is very apparent when you first open the lid. If you hate lemon or scented products, this may put you off. Although the scent is noticeable, I wouldn't say it is at all overpowering. Once applied to the cuticles the scent is only there for a small while, and it's only detectable if you have your hands near your face.

So enough about the smell, does it actually work? In my experience, it really does. I've only ever used liquid lotions for my cuticles before (like OPI Avoplex Oil) but with this cream you can really massage it into the cuticles. It also makes your cuticles feel incredible smooth and soft after using this. I don't suffer from particularly bad cuticles so can't say how this would work on someone with problem cuticles but since using it they have been in a much better condition and less dry.

Availability & Pricing:
Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Cream is available from Burt's Bees for £5.99

I really love this cuticle cream and it's become a staple in my nail routine. You get a fair amount for £5.99 and it's a lot cheaper than other cuticle care products out there


Friday, 24 January 2014

Urban Decay Ammo Palette | Review and Swatches


I've had this palette for ages and it was actually one of my first high-end makeup items. I love it, and as you can see I've hit pan on 2 of the shades (Maui Wowie and Polyester Bride). I'd probably have hit pan on Sin if I didn't already had it in the Naked Palette (where I have hit pan on it). I use this palette most days and love the fact that it's got great neutrals for an everyday look, and then slightly more unusual shades too.

Pigmentation:
As you can probably see above, these eyeshadows have great pigmentation. In my own experience, Urban Decay eyeshadows have some of the best pigmentation available. In particular, Smog, Midlew, Last Call and Shattered have great pigmentation. It's a little hard to see Polyester Bride and Sin in the swatches, but this is simply because I am very fair and it's hard to get them to show up on my skintone as they are similar in colour.

Application
I find Urban Decay eyeshadows a pleasure to apply and these are no different. Although the shades are all shimmery, I don't think I suffer fall out with any of them. The only one I'd be more careful with is Oil Slick as the shimmer is more noticeable and the shimmer particles are bigger. However this can be solved by doing eye makeup before foundation, which I'd suggest using when working with black eyeshadow anyway. The eyeshadows are all easy to apply and go on the eye smoothly. They are also easy to blend with other eyeshadows.

Lasting Power
New Ammo 2 Palette Packaging
I always wear my eyeshadow over Urban Decay Primer Potion as I find it makes my eyeshadow stay put all day. This palette comes with a travel-sized Urban Decay Primer Potion, which is a great addition to your makeup collection if you haven't already used this. I find that these eyeshadows last all day on me and there is no creasing in sight.

Packaging:
This is technically the first version of the Ammo palette, with the current edition sometimes being referred to as 'Ammo 2'. However, aside from the packaging and the addition of a small brush and travel-size UDPP, the palette remains the same. The eyeshadows are all exactly the same as in the older version shown here.

Availability and Pricing:
The Urban Decay Ammo Palette is available for £23 from Debenhams.

I really recommend the Ammo Palette, especially to someone who may just be starting to use higher-end makeup. This palette is one of the cheapest higher-end one on the market and contains 10 great shadows that will enable you to create a variety of looks. I love the fact you can use this for neutral day time looks, night time looks and then slightly more creative looks.