Friday 21 September 2012

Autumn Colours: My trend picks

I love love love Autumn (and you're probably going to see A LOT of Autumn related posts from me in the near future).

I love the weather of Autumn, the fashion and the colours!

So today I'm going to talk about my favourite colours for Autumn 
(which also happen to be pretty in style right now!)

Maroon

I will be wearing a lot of maroon - as my alternative to black - it goes well with all of the other colours in my autumn palette!

Navy & Royal Blue

Having light coloured skin and blonde hair I think any shade of blue always looks nice on me and I can't wait to fill my wardrobe up with pieces in these lovely jewel tones.

Mustard

I never usually go for and shade of yellow but I've taken the plunge this year and can't wait to start experimenting with this colour as I just find it so interesting.

Khaki

I'm a huge fan of green and think plain khaki clothes are a great way to wear this season's military trend for those of us who are a bit shy of full on camo!

Grey

My neutral colour for the season. Last year I wore a lot of brown but I'm preferring grey right now because it's lighter and works well with the next colour.

Pale Pink

This colour is great for some girlyness and is autumn's answer to summer's nude. I've got my eye on a pale pink cable knit jumper that I think will look so cute with grey trousers!

What colours will you be working into your wardrobe this autumn?

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Hair Product haul!

One area I seriously lack in when it comes to beauty products is hair stuff!
I don't really try a lot of hair styling products and tend to get stuck in my ways when it comes to hair care products.
So earlier this week when I was getting fed up of 'second day hair' I popped to the shops to pick up some new styling products to see what was available and what I could do whit them.

So without further a do!


Going back a while now I picked up this Lee Stafford Treatment for Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length.
It's a protein based treatment which aims to strengthen hair follicles and speed up hair growth.
I picked up 3 pots of this in Boots. They were running a 3 for £12 offer (I have no idea if it's still running). But I thought it was a fab deal as these retail for £7.99 each it worked out that I got these for half price!
I've been using this for almost 3 weeks and have made my way through one pot already! I want to use this for a bit longer before I give you guys a review!


I finally picked up the Schwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protection Spray. I feel like this product has been blowing up in blog land recently and I've heard such good reviews that I thought I'd give it a try. I got it in savers for about £2.50, which is a lot cheaper than every where else I've seen it.


Also in savers I picked up this Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Intensive Treatment Conditioner which is a purple conditioner. Purple shampoo and conditioner works wonders on blonde or grey hair so I decided that at £2 I'd give it a go. Now I don't have fair blonde hair (it's actually quite dark blonde) but I have been using the John Frieda Go Lighter spray and thought this conditioner might help with intensifying my blonde.


I'm a big lover of John Frieda products and have been for years so I decided to give the Shape and Shine Flexible Hold Hairspray and the Dream Curls Styling Spray a try! I'm not really a fan of the traditional aresol hairspray and think this liquid alternative will be a lot easier on my hair (it also smells pretty nice!). I'm also looking for some new products to help my crazy natural hair look a bit more polished so I grabbed the curl styling spray too. These cost £2.50 each in savers.


Another John Frieda Frizz-Ease product I purchased is  this Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque. I bought 3 of these from Tesco at £1 each. However Tesco are currently running a 3 for 2 offer across their entire hair care and styling department so I payed £2 for 3. This is another product which claims to strengthen hair to protect against breakages and since I've been noticing some breakages amongst hair on the top of my head I'm actively seeking to strengthen my hair. This is a wash out treatment.

I'm sure you're all aware of the new line of products from VO5 in this pretty pink packages. These were also included in the 3 for 2 offer at Tesco and I treated myself to Plump it Up Weightless Mousse, Give me Texture Tousled Style Spray and Give me Texture Dry Texturising Spray. This cost £3.49 each. I find it really hard to find a reasonably priced mousse which doesn't leave your hair crispy and I'm hoping this mousse won't let me down! I have tried the old formula of the tousled spray and really did not think much of it but since they have changed the formula I thought I could only be for the better! I've never seen a dry texturising spray before and actually have high hopes for this product as it just makes compete sense to me - as a dry spray it wont moisten your hair leaving it looking unstyled.

I asked my Mum to grab me a leave in conditioner when she went shopping and she picked me up this Vitapointe Leave In Conditioner for £1.50 in Tesco. I've never heard of it before and Mum tells me that it's quiet an old fashioned product that has been around for years and 'older ladies' tend to use. I thought I may as well give it a try because if it's been around for a long time it must be doing something right!


And finally I needed a new conditioner as saw a new product from Tresemme', Keratin Smooth Keratin Conditioner and thought I can't go wrong for £2.50 from superdrug. I always used to use Tresemme' as a teenage but I've always hated the smell. I stopped using it because I had extremely thick hair and found that all Tresemme products just gave my hair too much volume (first and last time you'll ever hear a beauty girl complaining about too much volume to her 'do!) but since then the texture of my hair has changed a lot and it's now a great deal finer. I've seen a lot of new products being bought out by Tresemme' recently and have decided to give them another chance!

So what hair products have you been buying lately?
Have you tried any of the bits I've bought recently?
What are you're favorite products and what would you recommend?

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Autumn 2012 Make up Trends

A change in seasons means the introduction of new make-up trends!
I am a big fan of finding out the new trends for cosmetics which are generally born out of fashion week!
Now we are all aware of the way fashion week works - the start of spring gives us Autumn/ Winter trends and vise versa and with London Fashion Week coming to a close I've decided to take a look back to last fashion week and have a look at the make up trends!

So without further ado!




Berry Lips

Source
This is a trend that rolls round year after year and 2012 has been no exception.
When aiming for your perfect berry lip the idea is to make your lips appear as if you've just bitten into a bunch of blackberries.
I love the look and think it look fantastic on light and dark skin tones.
The contrast on a pale face make you look super sophisticated and on trend where as berry lips on a darker skinned person adds a subtle hint of glamour.


Multi-Toned Eyes

Source
This futuristic look adds a different dimension to eye make up looks than the usual smokey eye.
Its the new way to do glamorous eye make up and finally allows that bit of adventure into out make up bags!
Jason Wu used emerald green as the main colour for this make up look on his catwalk this season.

Fresh & Natural

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This is another look we see year after year throughout each season.
However the look for Autumn features more on 'the English rose' look. Flawless skin and a flush of colour to the cheeks. 
Whilst flushed cheeks are a sign of broken capillaries from cold weather a spot of blusher gives a much healthier look to the face.

Smokey Brown

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This is a look that I have been wearing so much for the past few months and don't plan on stopping any time soon.
However I think I will incorporate some of the other new trends we are seeing in order to bring the look up to date and give it a new lease of life.
It is such a versatile trend and can be taken from day to night really easily.

The morning after make up

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This trend looks pretty intimidating to me! 
It's based on the concept of not removing last night's make up and featured heavily on the runway with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs. 
Whilst the run way look is not something I'd go for, a more of a smudged look on the lower lash line is the perfect compromise and I can't wait to try it out.


Vibrant eye liner


Source
This is a trend we saw back in spring 2011.
It's back again with a vengeance!
Go for bold patterns in bold colour for a bang on trend look. I personally cant wait to try this look with blues and greens!

Which is your favourite make up look, and if any, which will you be trying out over the next 3 months?


Friday 14 September 2012

My Top 3 Hair Care Picks!

Hi Ladies!

So recently I have become a tad obsessive about hair care.
The thing I have really upped the ante with is treating my hair.
There is nothing wrong with showing your hair a LOT of tender love and care!

Today I'm going to share with you three different categories of products which are essential to my hair care routine and my favourite products from each.


L- Vatika Hair Oil M- Charles Worthington Mineral Hair Rescue R - Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair



I'm going to start off with a hair oil.
Hair oil is beneficial as it assists in repelling harmful UV rays from the sun and halogen lights
I cover my hair from root to tip in hair oil the evening before I wash my hair. 

My top tips for oiling your hair:
Don't do it every day. Oil treat your hair a maximum of 3 times a week.
If you have oily hair I would recommend only applying your hair oil to the tips of your hair (much like you would a conditioner).
However it is perfectly fine to coat the strands completely for a deeper and more nourishing treatment.
Leave your hair oil on for as long as you possibly can. This can be overnight or you can always apply the oil to the ends and tie your hair back in a bun to stop your hair from appearing greasy.
It is also extremely beneficial to wrap your head in a war towel after application as it helps the oil to absorb.
Massage your scalp when applying the oil as it boost circulation which promotes a healthy scalp and hair growth.

The oil I use is Vatika natural almond oil, available from supermarkets for less than £5


Next is a deep conditioner
Without a doubt my favourite deep conditioner is Charles Worthington Mineral Hair Rescue.
I use this every other time I was my hair and coat my hair in a fair sized amount after my conditioner.

My Top Tips for deep conditioning your hair:
Leave your conditioner on for as long as possible to benefit from it as much as possible.
Use it regularly, but not every time you wash your hair.
Deep conditioning adds moisture to your hair. So if you have dry, damaged or brittle hair you will benefit from a good ole condition.
If you colour your hair skip a deep condition to allow the colour to intensify but next time you treat your hair leave the product on for longer and warp a hot towel around your head to bring back some moisture.

This is £5 from drug stores and superstores.



Finally is a leave in treatment
A leave in  conditioner works just as well and sometimes I like to use both but a repairing treatment is a staple in my hair care routine.

My Top Tips for leave in products:
Don't put too much in! It will weigh your hair down and make your hair appear lank. A few sprays or a 5p coin size is the perfect amount for mid length hair.
Put this on your hair before any other product. This allows it to completely soak into your hair follicles.
Change it up every now and again. You will feel a huge difference by using new products and products which focus on different things, for example adding moisture or repairing hair.

I use Schwarzkopft Gliss hair repair with liquid keratin which is available in drugs tores for around£4.

What products do you love to use to keep your hair is tip top condition?








Monday 10 September 2012

Product Review: Charles Worthington Heat Defence Spray

So if you've been following my blog for a while you may know that I am obsessed with hair care.
One of the most important steps in my hair care routine, if I'm using heat or not, is a heat protecting spray.

I haven't tried that many different heat protectants but recently I set myself the task of finding the best from he drug store.

I'm a massive fan of the Charles Worthington range so decided to give this one a whirl!


I picked up the takeaways size as I just wanted to try it out and wasn't sure if I'd like it or not.
The takeaways (50ml) of all the products cost £2.99 but I bought this on a 2 for £5 offer.
The full size (200ml) costs £5.19

When I first sprayed this into my hair the first thing I noticed was the over powering smell.
It stank of alcohol.
Sure enough, the first ingredient is Alcohol Denat.
Now I am aware that most heat protectants contain alcohol, but there is usually a higher percentage of water in the product.

For me there two down sides of having so much alcohol in the product,
One is the smell.
And second is if I spray it onto the roots of my hair, it irritates my scalp.
I don't mean a bit of itching - it stung for about 30 seconds!

However I persevered and just avoided spraying my roots.

When I've used this without putting heat on afterwards it hasn't left my hair feeling as soft as normal.
However I after sparying this I clipped my wet hair up. When I took my hair out of the clip about an hour later it smelt amazing and my boyfriend who was sitting across the room immediately said 'wow you smell amazing'
It didn't have a horrible alcohol stench to it any more!

When I used this spray before straightening my hair it left my hair smelling great again and made my hair look so glossy and fab!

Overall I think this product serves its purpose and although I won't be using it daily, it will be my go-to heat defence spray for when I'm styling my hair using direct heat!


Are there any heat defence sprays you recommend?

Sunday 9 September 2012

How I Organise My Wardrobe.



Morning Ladies!
How is everyone today?

The post I have for you today is all about how I keep my clothes and shoes in order and how I arrange my wardrobe.

I am a bit of a neat freak and am a firm believer in clearing out your wardrobe at the beginning of each season.

So now that Autumn is approaching and I've purchased some new clothes I've had a clear out of my wardrobe and produced a new organising system (and a big bag for the charity shop!).

I'm going to talk you through the sections of my wardrobe as well as sharing a few tips I've always used!



First off I section my clothes into bottoms and tops.
Then the main way I organise my clothes is by Colour.
I'm super picky and have my clothes hung in order of the colour spectrum.


This is just super picky of me and it's not necessary to arrange your clothes like this in order to be organised.
I also keep my 'going out' dresses to the side as it's easier to have a part of my wardrobe I can go straight too when I'm looking for something a bit more special.



At the end of my Wardrobe I hang my belts on this belt organiser from Primark.
I hate rolling belts up in drawers as it's just so easy for them to become messy. This way of hanging also allows me to see all of the belts I have.







At the bottom of my wardrobe I store my shoes and gym clothes.
On the top I always keep my shoes on the right and swap the box on the left seasonally.
In Autumn and Winter I keep my boots on the top shelf and sandals underneath, however during Spring and Summer I rotate these for ease.

I store my gym wear in a basket at the bottom of my wardrobe as its so easy just to slide the basket out and grab what I need.


I tie and elastic band around all of my pairs of sandals.
This makes it so easy to grab a pair and I'm not hunting around for a pair of shoes in a box of madness.


Separate from my wardrobe I have a set of draws for everything else.
Two drawers are dedicated to out of season clothes.
 (The other has heavy knit jumpers)
When I organise my wardrobe at the change of the season the clothes which I am 99% sure I wont be wearing are folded away into a drawer.
It is also just as efficient to store them in a suitcase or under the bed.


And finally my scarves and bandeaus are folded and rolled into a smaller drawer.
I prefer to roll my scarves and its a lot easier to end up with an untidy drawer if they are folded.
It is also really easy to see what I have and grab it quickly.

The way I have my clothes and shoes organised works really well for me and it has taken me a while to find the perfect organisation solution.

A few tips I have for you guys are:

Keep trying to find your solution
Like I said it's taken me a while to perfect my organisation but this system works really well for me as it's easy to keep neat and see what I have.

Clear out!
I clear out at the beginning of each season.
If I didn't wear an item in the previous season then I generally get rid of it unless there is a reason (for example a sun dress during a rainy summer).
Items which can transition through seasons are always in my wardrobe and those which are season specific get sorted into a drawer.

Make the time
If you always find your self throwing clothes into the wardrobe and spending hours clearing out every few months then consider taking 30 seconds more to hang and organise your clothes.
Not only will it make that big clear out quicker but it will also speed up getting ready in the morning.

Only keep what you wear
The obvious exception to this rule is important and memorable clothes.
I still have a bridesmaids dress from when I was 3. Obviously I never wear it but it's important to me.
However that ill fitting jumper and too small pair of jeans can go!

I love seeing how people organise their clothes and have really enjoyed writing this post!
I hope you have enjoyed this post too!

Have you got and top tips for organisation?
If so share them below!

Wardrobe - Ikea
Drawers - Ikea Malm
Baskets - Matalan

Friday 7 September 2012

How to take any make-up look from day to night!

The blogosphere and You tube is full of tutorials of how to take particular make-up looks from day to night.
I am a big fan of looks I can easily transition from a natural day look to a glam night look and now that I'll be starting back at Uni soon it's so handy to know what to do to your make-up to take it from the lecture theatre to the SU.

Here's a few tips for how to take any look from day to night.


When applying your day time look:

Go for Flawless skin
This will easily transition into the night time glam look
Set Your Make up well
You want your foundation to last so use a good finishing spray over the top of your foundation
Go for lashes
Make your lashes look big and full as it can be difficult to apply a second coat of mascara at the end of the day

For my day time look I've used

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation
No7 Mineral Blush - Rose Pink
Sleek Brow Kit - Light
Inika Eyeliner - Coco
Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara - Black
Lancome - Juicy Tube - Chai Freeze




When Transitioning your look:
Add Eyeshadow/Liner
A darker eye look will instantly add drama to your look
A Bold Lip
A strong red, pink or coral is great for the night time look even if it's the only thing you do
Where you put blusher
Instead of on the apple of your cheeks, place your blush on your cheek bone, just above where you contour
Contour
Add in a bit of bronzer under your blush, if your short for space just use the same brush

For my night time look I applied these products over the top of my day time look

Topshop Blush - Prime Time
Benefit Hoola Bronzer (mine is a sample size which is great for carrying in your bag, I also used it on my eyelids)
ELF Shimmering Facial Whip - Lilac Petal
MUA Lipstick - Shade 1
Maybelline Colour Tattoo - On and On Bronze
Real Techniques Stippling brush
ELF Professional Blending Brush


So ladies, if you follow those few guidelines then you will have no problem transitioning your look from day to night with minimal products and effort!

What are your top tips for glamming up for make-up look?
x

P.s. Keep your eyes peeled for a similar fashion post!

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