Dry Shampoo - Not Just For Festivals

Every magazine I have picked up this week is telling me how to get Festival Ready, and telling me that I need to buy some dry shampoo and I don't think it has to just be for festivals or camping as I have never been and I use it all the time!

My faves are Batiste and Label.M.  but the Batiste major advantage is that it is cheap, comes in lots of different colours and scents and mini versions, and is easy to pick up in your local Boots or Superdrug, the downside is that a lot of the versions leave brunettes with a white powder on their hair which then needs some extreme rubbing and brushing to get rid of (fine for blondes though).

Directions for use

1. Shake can nice & thoroughly

2. Hold can approx 30cm from hair, spray lightly

3. Massage into your hair with fingertips for even coverage

4. Leave a few minutes

5. Brush it out – preferably with a bristle brush

Batiste Silver Shimmer

Packaging - cute in the usual batiste style, aerosol style spray as with other brands which is also easy to use and direct

Colour - silver and shimmery funnily enough!

Volume - Not as much as the usual Batiste shampoos

Overall - I like the idea of this but it's more of a novelty item to me, this one really would be much better at festivals or for clubs.

Batiste Nude 

Packaging - a turn away from the usual cutesy Batiste packaging which I quite like actually as it's more functional and it's actually in recyclable packaging.  The nozzle makes things much easier for brunettes to avoid the white hair look.

Scent The formula is fragrance free and perfect for sensitive skin/scalp.

Volume Ooodles of volume. This is brilliant.

Overall

This is their first eco-friendly dry shampoo ideal for sensitive hair as it is a hypoallergenic, 100% natural, fragrance free formulation and contains no volatile organic compounds. It's such a cool idea and its still a low cost item at Cost £3.49 for 50g.

Batiste Fresh

Packaging - Blue version of the standard can, I really like this colour

Colour - The usual white dustiness, this can be alleviated by spraying while your hair is turned upside down or using the old Lollipop26 trick of applying before bed so when you wake up your night time head tossing has made the powder disappear.

Scent - Love the scent, like freshly washed clothes and fresh hair - this is definitely my favourite out of the fragranced line. I used to use Boho but I like this a lot better.

Volume - As usual masses of volume once the initial dustiness is worked into the hair. I love my batiste bouffants.

Overall - My feelings are that Batiste are really moving their products forward and evolving their range to suit much more people, I think it's actually really cool that their new nude shampoo is in recyclable packaging and uses natural products.  I am also a big fan of the new fresh scent and packaging as it has the same super volume as regular batiste but with a just washed hair scent, which surely is what everyone wants!

The shimmer ones are great for a night out and are a cute addition to the line but I don't think I would purchase as I think there are plenty of their items in their range that I like more.

The products are available from Superdrug and Boots plus many other online shops like Asos.  Costing from £1.50 - £3.49.

Do you like dry shampoo?

Small Print - Batiste sent by PR for review

Oh yes it's another - A'kin Pure Rose Hydrating Mist Review!

This is another Mypure review item and I am reviewing this second as this was the product I was really interested in trying out of the three I was sent. I have got really into face spritzes ever since using Mac Fix Plus.

This product is designed to refresh your face and soothe your skin. It contains Australian bush flower essences, old man banksia, dog rose and tall mulla mulla as well as aloe leaf juice and vitamin b5 to soothe the skin.

A'kin ingredients are certified organic wherever possible and if not possible a natural ingredient is used. The brand does not contain parabens, petrochemical cleansers, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA or sulfates which are obviously all bad for your skin.

All A'kin products are certified vegan by the Australian Vegan Society and halal certified.

 

To use this you just spray over face, hair or body to hydrate the skin. I have been using it in the morning in replacement of my toner and to refresh my hair on the day that I haven't shampooed. I have also used it on my body and it feels really refreshing especially after a long horrid tube journey it's nice to spray on your legs and feet.

I tried this to set my makeup and it didn't work that well, certainly not as well as Mac's fix plus. Then again I wouldn't spray fix plus over my hair or body to refresh it. This smells nicer than the standard fix plus as it smells of true rose not a fake synthetic scent.

The spray is easy to use and gives a fine mist which is good for the face, as you don't want it squirting you full on in the eye! I love that this is natural and paraben free as I feel that it is really nourishing and moisturising my skin.

The only thing I feel slightly boring about the product is the packaging, which I personally don't like that much. It wouldn't put me off purchasing again but I find it a bit odd that natural and organic products always tend to have boring packaging, whereas paraben packed chemical products have lovely shiny glam packaging...why can't we have organic products with nice packaging?

All in all I would definitely recommend this for those wanting a body, face and hair moisturising spritz or a new toner. This will be great for hot climates, holidays and summer. Could I see myself using this in the Winter? No, I find sprays better for the warmer times of year personally.

You can check this product out here Mypure Akin Mist

The RRP is £12.99

10 Steps To A DIY Deluxe Spa Pedicure

Usually I get a salon pedicure as I find them so nice and relaxing, but they are pretty easy to do yourself in you have the right things and a spare hour or so.

This is for what would be classed as a Deluxe Spa Pedicure - You need a lot of stuff but it lasts for ages and can be used for manicures too

The things you will need are:

1- Pumice or foot file or any hard skin removing treatment - I used The Sanctuary instant foot callus treatment which I will review fully in a separate post as it is amazing.

2- Cuticle remover  - I use CND

3- This metal implement to push back cuticles and clip them if you like that sort of thing.  Mine were from ebay but they sell some good ones at Nails by Mail here fraliz implements

4- Nail oil - I used apricot cuticle oil by Essie

5- Salts or Foot Bath such as this one by CCS or some essential oil like lavendar or tea tree

6- Exfoliator either bought or make one at home with some sea salt and olive oil (sea salt is more scratchy which is what you need on your feet).  I used The Sanctuary Luxury Foot Polish

7- Foot and heel moisturiser - such as this one by CCS Footcare  or The Sanctuary moisture rich foot butter if you have really bad feet use the CCS one as it is super strong and can be bought at Boots

8- Basecoat - I use Sally Hansen in the gold bottle

9- Nail polish - any you like

10- Toe dividers  - or just a tissue

11- Topcoat such as CND Super Shiny

12- A footspa, big bowl or a bucket is fine.

Step 1

Lay a towel on the floor and in your bowl add some warm water (it needs to be fairly warm as it will cool down quickly) and your foot bath sachet or 4 drops of essential oils (lavender and tea tree would be nice)

Step 2

Use the pumice or foot file gently on the dry skin just to dislodge any obvious bits then put your feet in the water and soak for 10 minutes (I like to read a magazine).

Step 3

Take out your feet and if the nails need cutting then cut them straight across - I find this difficult to do using clippers so I use scissors.

Step 4

Apply a thin layer of cuticle remover to all nails and leave for 5 minutes (resume magazine).

Step 5

Tissue off the cuticle remover and gently push pack cuticles with a hoof stick or cotton bud, I use a scary metal scraper thing but if you are a beginner then stay away or be careful in case you jab yourself

Step 6

Use your foot scrub, peel or pumice stone to really scrub that dead skin off focussing on the heels and the ball of the foot and if you get dry skin on your big toe then give that a good scrub too.

Step 7

Rinse your feet in the water and then towel dry. Apply a thick coat of the moisturiser or heel balm and really massage it in. Then wrap your feet in the towel and resume magazine reading for 10 minutes.

Step 8

Rinse off any leftover moisturiser in the water and towel dry making sure your nails are free from cream.

Step 9

Put on your toenail dividers and then apply a coat of basecoat, two coats of your favourite polish and a topcoat. Remember to leave a good 5 minutes between each coat so you don't smudge. Tidy up any mistakes with a cotton bud soaked in polish remover.

Step 10

Once the polish is fully dry apply nail oil to your cuticles.

Ta-da perfect tootsies  - please note there are no pics of my feet since I had a lot of messages last time saying people hate feet pictures!

If you want a great brand definitely try The Sanctuary if your feet are ok to dry and CCS if your feet are extremely dry and cracked.  They use CCS products in my local chiropodist so they must be good!

Lit Cosmetics Review

I was contacted by  Lit Cosmetics who had seen me mentioned on Cargo's facebook page and they sent me some goodies to review all the way from Canada.

They come in really cute packaging reminiscent of the old style Hard Candy products which I used to obsessively collect.

Their slogan is 'no glitter no glory'! This is because their company is based on different types of glitter cosmetics and they offer over 250 colours and varieties. I know a lot of people are a bit love/hate with glitter but hopefully this will interest those that love it.

The star product is the clearly liquid glitter base which is an organic water based adhesive which makes sure that your glitter or pigment stays on your face and doesn't fall off. It has been tested and is hypoallergenic and ideal for sensitive skin. This is great for me as I always shy away from these types of things as my eyes can get eczema on them..which really hurts! You could also use this with your pigments from any other brand or Mac reflects glitters for example.

 

As far as I can tell the glitters contain no parabens and cost around $14.95 canadian. They don't sell them on their website yet but you can see what they look like here Lit Cosmetics

Some of the different uses are:

Liquid liner or eyeshadow

Adding glitter powder to lipstick, lipgloss or nail polish

Adding glitter to your body or hair

The company was also on Dragon's Den and from the clip on their website it looks like Dragons Den over there is just a super over-produced version of our one it looks hilarious! All of the presenters look so wooden - it's worth having a look just for a giggle!

www.litcosmetics.com/

Overall I would definitely recommend these as a cheaper alternative to Mac's reflects glitters.  Although they do seem quite hard to get hold of so hopefully Lit will let me know when they are available online so I can make another post.

Do you like a bit of glitter?

Bronze Goddess FOTD & Hippy Hair

Quite a few comments on my last two Youtube videos asked what makeup I was wearing and if there was a tutorial.  I did actually take some pictures:

The main item in the FOTD is the above glitter called Oprah!  It is by Lit Cosmetics who are a Canadian makeup brand focussed mainly on glitters in different grades (thin, chunky etc) and a glitter base which sticks the glitter to your face.  The products were a million times better than I expected and coming from me, generally a glitter hater well they have to be pretty good eh! 

Here is the link to their Facebook page Lit-Cosmetics Facebook

The liner that I used was my new Eyeko Grafitti liner which I was sent last week by Eyeko.  I wasn't expecting much compared to my L'Oreal carbon gloss superliner which is my fave, but it's really good, much better than the Bourjois pen style liner and there are only £5.00 which is pretty good in my book.  I have to say I am actually really surprised how good it is.

Here are the other colours they sent me, I am going to

include that gorgeous purple in my upcoming giveaway

They stack up but can also be individual, very handy for travel

I did also get quite a few mentions about my skin, bronzer and so on so I will try and do a bronzed skin tutorial at the weekend for you girlies.

Not long before the giveaway now...eep!

Mum's Review of Kosmea Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum

I was one of the bloggers to be sent the Mypure products for review, however upon opening the box at my mum's house (post office central) she pointed out the fact that at 25 it was a bit pointless me reviewing a potent anti ageing serum, so put herself up for the job!  At 58 she is more in need of an anti ageing serum than me, and with dry and sensitive skin was looking for something to make her look 21 (or maybe 51).

This product is  new to the UK and debuted at mypure only this month, it's made by an Australian company called Kosmea. Established in 1993, Kosmea took Australia by storm with the first commercially available certified organic rosehip oil. Since then Kosmea have gone from strength to strength with a complete range of skin care based around organic rosehip oil.

The Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum is apparently one of the first natural skin care products to use patented anti-ageing ingredients. Mypure only sell products which are paraben and sulphate free.

Click to purchase Kosmea Serum at Mypure

My mum used this morning and night (and then just at night after the foundation problem) for 10 days and these are her findings.

Packaging

The packaging was ok, it was nothing special but the pump action made it easy to get out the product.  There were no instructions of how much product to use, so I just used two pumps but it would have been nice to know how much I was expected to put on.

Scent

This was obviously a rose scent, which I love as I love flowers.  Sadly it was so strong that if I applied this anywhere near my eyes they started to stream as if I was crying and I had to wash it off, also I had to make sure to wash my hands very thoroughly after use as the smell stays on your hands.

Texture

The texture of this serum is like most other facial serums I have used by other brands, it's pretty liquidy and slippy.  I wasn't sure whether I was suppose to massage this in or leave a layer on so I massaged it in.  Be careful if you apply too much and then try to apply makeup it will just ball up and flake off (Sarah asks - "what like actually flaking off like dandruff?") not really your foundation sticks to the serum and just rubs it off of your face.  I took to using this at night as it was too complicated in the morning.  If you use mineral foundation it would be better (i.e. a powder rather than a liquid).

Overall

My mum's view of this product was that it was average, it made her skin much more moist but as we only had a short time to review after 10 days there were no anti ageing effects, she is going to stick with it and use it up just in case!  She liked the packaging but said it was nothing exciting and she probably would have walked past it if she saw it in a shop.  She also said that it would benefit from not having such a strong scent as most people need an anti ageing product that isn't too strong to be used around the eyes, as most people have the majority of lines around their eyes and crows feet.

She said out of 10 she would give it a 6.5

Simple Kind to Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser and Lip Balm SPF15

I was sent the Simple Intensive Lip Moisturiser and Essential lip balm with SPF 15 to review.

I really really want to say moist lips at this point...I am sorry I am so childish but I keep thinking it as I am writing this haha!  Anway now that's over and done with lets move on to the grown up review.

The intensive lip moisturiser is the one in the tube, it has a thicker, non sticky consistency which nourishes and soothes and locks in moisture  for some reason this reminds me of the Norwegian formula Neutrogena hand cream, it's that sort of consistency.  The balm is clear.

This is good to use at bedtime to ensure silky soft lips when you wake up in the morning and it contains pro vitamin B5 which restores and softens the lips and glycerin to hydrate and nourish. This is a great product as it has no scent or taste so would appeal to anyone and the tube is small enough to slip in your pocked or keep on your bedside table. It is dermatalogically tested and 10ml costs £

Overall - I am not too keen simply because it is thicker so isn't easy to slap on all day at work and my hair got stuck to it when I used it during the day.  It is a positive review as it is a good product, I just don't feel it personally meets what I want from a moisturising lip treatment.

The essential lip balm SPF 15  on the other hand is brilliant! I love this and it's perfect for use during the day to protect your lips from the sun. It comes in stick format which you can apply quickly and without a mirror and like the other lip treatment it is neither scented or coloured or has any taste. It also contains pro vitamin B5 but isn't as thick so is much better suited to regular application on a hot day or and it is easy to apply frequently. It contains shea butter which is well known for it's excellent moisturising qualities. Well worth the price and I would definitely recommend this for anyone, but it would be extra handy for those who are going on holiday, to festivals or like to spend a lot of time outside due to the SPF and the fact it has no taste. Love it! 

Please note that there is also a SPF20 sun lip protection lipbalm, but since I haven't tried this I don't know if it's the same formula.

Depending on the different shop these lipbalms cost around £3 which I think is definitely a good reason to pick up the SPF version, remember your lips need sun protection too!

What's your favourite lipbalm brand?

I Heart - The Sanctuary Products

In my opinion The Sanctuary just pips Soap and Glory to the post of my favourite skincare brand to be sold at Boots and http://www.boots.com/

So many of their products have become daily and weekly staples I wanted to show you them all at once.  It's rare for me to like so many products from the same brand.  I am not saying every single one is amazing in the entire range, but these are all products that I use all the time and repurchase.

The Body Scrub £2.29 for mini - is a good everyday scrub, the Microdermabrasion Body Renewal £8.99 is perfect for removing those remnants of fake tan that hang around, for your ankles, backs of arms and bum and thighs and it really does help refine the skin and make it super soft without being too scratchy.  You use this before showering though so don't scrub as if you are sandpapering yourself, even though the white toothpaste looking paste doesn't appear to have any grains as soon as you start rubbing you will definitely feel them, they are just tiny and very densely packed in this paste.  As you can see it's a bit messy around the lid, sorry!

The Warming Microbrasion Scrub has been one of my favorite beauty items since it came out. I dabbled with the St Ives version but came straight back to this as it is miles (my opinion).  It's by The Sanctuary Spa which are a range of spa style facial skincare products that are really reasonably priced and for me, give great results.  It only costs £5.00!! and comes in a very spa-like white tube which I really like as you can cut off the end when it's nearly finished to scoop out all of the product so there isn't any wastage.

This scrub is like a cross between a microdermabrasion scrub and a warming face mask, my skin looks so pepped up and bright after using and it doesn't hurt my skin at all to use this.  It says on the back that it is not suitable for sensitive skin but it works fine on me - maybe test a bit in store before purchase to see if you react.  But as I say it has never caused me a problem and I buy it over and over again, it's amazing!

The Ultra Rich Body Butter is a very generous 300ml tub which costs £9.99 (I do tend to buy all of these products when they are on offer like 3 for 2).  The butter is thick to look at but when you apply it's pretty thin, it sinks in really quickly and while I am not too sure on the 24 hour moisturisation it certainly lasts all day on me! No scaly shins or dry elbows when I use this.  The scent is the same as all Sanctuary products, it's not as nice as some others but it does such a good job and I don't dislike the scent.

The Nourishing Lip Balm £3.99 is basically a nicer version of vaseline with a delicious passion fruit scent that is great for using before bed in a thick layer as a lip treatment or just good for slinging in your handbag.  I am not saying it's my favourite ever but I really enjoy using it.

Do love any products from The Sanctuary?

Bumpits Review - I am not sure about this one....

Bumpits are a new product (to the UK - you have been able to get them in the US for a while) basically designed to help you pouff up your hair into either a mini beehive or just to make your hair look like it has more volume without having to backcomb which is damaging and causes split ends if you do it a lot.

In the UK these are sold via JML and can be purchased from Asda, Boots and Superdrug, JML sent me this one to test.

How much? £9.99

What do they look like?

Are they easy to use?

Bumpits are a self gripping hair accessory which you insert under your hair with the flat part flush against your scalp and the arrange the hair and evenly distribute it over the top of the bumpit to hide it. Spray on a bit of hairspray and it's done.

Apparently these are suitable for everyday use but I would feel a bit silly using it in the office...definitely more for a night out or if you have a more glam job than mine. Apparently they are a favourite with celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton as well.

So the before and after

Everyday hair

I think you can see the plastic a bit?

Conehead?

So what do you think? (you can say conehead if you want :P )

Guest Blogger Tor from That's Peachy Reviews Eldora False Lashes

Hi everyone, I'm Tor from thatspeachy

This post is a review on Eldora handmade false lashes, number D141.

I wore them on Monday night when I went to Newcastle to see Boyz II Men. I was waiting for a special occasion to wear them, as they eyelashes are really fancy with gold glitter on them… a little too extravagant for everyday wear!

Initial thoughts about the lashes was that they are stunning! They have great length, and I love the cross over effect, rather than them just being straight, this makes them more special for a night out.

The packaging is pretty nice, they would definitely stand out well on a shelf in a shop. The lashes were easy to remove from the packaging too, I have had lashes which lost their shape when I removed them from the plastic, but with these this wasn't the case at all.

Application of the lashes was simple, I used my own eyelash glue and carried out the usual steps. The lashes were the perfect size for me, so they didn't require any trimming down. They were also flexible enough to shape to my own eyelid really easily. Once I had applied both lashes I added a little mascara (although not right to the tips as I didn't want to make them any longer), just to bond my lashes to them a little better, and on my bottom lashes to even out my eye.

They were pretty comfortable to wear, they did feel slightly heavy on my eyes at first, but I guess that's just because I haven't worn any false lashes in a while… I was soon fully adjusted though, and completely forgot I was wearing them!

These lashes in particular didn't overpower my face, they were noticeable, but not completely in your face, which is what I like. They also have a really natural curl to them, so with my eyelashes curled, they blended together really well. The gold glitter on them gave that little bit extra of needed sparkle for them for my night out.

I received quite a few complements from my friends on my eyes, and how great the lashes looked on.

When I got home from the night out, the lashes were still completely intact, I had been wearing them for around 9 hours, so I was very impressed.

I just used a small amount of my usual eye makeup remover and they came straight off. Once I had removed them, I was very happy to see that they were still totally in one piece, and definitely in good enough condition to use again and again.

I think these lashes are a bargain at only £4.90 per pack.

They have some amazing and gorgeous styles on the website too, available in synthetic or human hair! You can check them out here: http://www.eldorashop.co.uk/

They also give 10% discount on orders of £10 or more, 20% off orders of £35 or more, and free delivery on orders of £20 or more!

I just want to say thank you for reading my guest post, and a big thank you to Sarah for letting me crash her blog for the day!

Thank YOU Tor xx

FOTD Laura Mercier Summer Collection Inspired

As soon as I saw the model for the Summer Laura Mercier collection I wanted to try and recreate and inspired look, she just looks gorgeous.  The Laura Mercier Summer collection looks really pretty but I was hoping I could recreate the look just with products I already had.

Vanilla and Brown Down by Mac

This is the finished look, with 1 coat of St Tropez fake tan as well.  Obviously it's not exactly the same but I think it's nice for a summery day.

Then my shoes of the day were from Primark, they look like blinged up cornish pasties!  And my NOTD are Barry M in Berry Ice Cream.  Gorgeous shade with 2 coats and CND Super Shiny topcoat.

Are you into coloured eyeliner?

Miu Miu Vitello Lux New Season Colours

I think my Miu Miu Vitello Lux handbag post was popular, and I was emailed the new season colour pictures today.  As if I need more things to add to the 'want but can't afford to waste money on' pile?  A girl can dream, and in my dream Lacca, Azzuro and Papaya would all be mine.

What goodies are you lusting after at the moment?