Eyebrow Tinting - What to Expect

Hey everyone,
Sorry about how long it's been between posts recently - school this year is set to be ridiculously busy and I really have been burning the candle at both ends. If it weren't for my little survival guide, I would quite possibly be dead right now.

But enough with the moaning, and onto the good stuff. Eyebrows have always been a pet peeve of mine. Instead of having my mother's thick, dark, shapely eyebrows passed down, I inherited my father's scrawny blonde strips - fine on him, not so cute on me. I've plucked, pencilled, powdered, you name it, to try and make these babies into the strong, face-framing brows of stars like Keira Knightley and Miley Cyrus (love her or hate her, the kid's got good eyebrows...). But no dice.
Until one day, I was reading a magazine article on eyelash and brow tinting. The idea seemed bizarre to me . The eyelashes in particular could be quite scary if something went wrong - I still haven't been brave (or stupid) enough to try that. But I did a little research into eyebrow tinting and eventually worked up the guts to give it a go.
I found a salon that uses holistic and henna-based dyes. I'd recommend finding one in your area; I'd rather use a product with lower levels of crazy chemicals if someone intends on waving a stick of it around my eyes for any length of time.
All in all, the process is surprisingly quick. Here goes:

1. You'll have a brief consultation with the therapist where he or she will ask about what you want from your brows and how light or dark you're looking to go. If you've dyed your hair very far from your natural colour, they'll also ask if you're looking to match your brows.
2. You'll then have a cleanser swiped over your eyebrows to remove any makeup, dust from the great outdoors and anything else that could prevent the product adhering to your hair follicles.
3. The therapist will then outline your eyebrows with a barrier product like Vaseline in order to prevent the tint bleeding where you don't want it.
4. Your dye colour is quickly mixed and applied with a little spatula-thingy (teehee). If you're only going a few shades each side of your natural colour, the dye's left on for a maximum of five minutes. If you're doing crazy colours, time will vary.
5. The dye's wiped off and your brows are cleansed again to remove traces of any product.

Threading -YOUCH!!

Usually with tinting, it's advisable to have your brows shaped in some way (whether done at the salon or afterwards by yourself at home). This makes sure any stragglers match the colour of the dyed hair and makes it look more natural. The three safest shaping methods for brows are plucking, threading and waxing. Plucking is time-consuming and I prefer to do it myself if needs must. Threading hurts wayyyyyyyy more than waxing. Trust me, I learnt the hard way. I also find that threading causes me to break out much more than waxing does.

When you're all done, an anti-inflammatory product like aloe vera is applied to soothe the area and reduce clogged pores, which can lead to spots and blackheads.

I really recommend brow tinting to anyone trying to enhance their face. Your brows frame your eyes, the area of the face you notice first. If you have good brows, you can pretty much get away with no makeup. The tinting darkens the blonde hairs in my brows and makes them look much fuller. If I want a really dramatic look for a night out, I'll still powder over my brows with an eyeshadow (brow powders are generally a waste of money), but I'm pretty much good to go.

A final word? The results last for about three weeks, and this varies from person to person. So make sure to scout around for good prices, as upkeep can be costly!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Lots of love xx

Post-Workout Pep

Hey everyone,
Recently I've started taking classes in Bikram yoga, which is something `I never thought I'd do. Me and yoga have never been the best of friends, mainly because of my inability to sit down and shut up for more than three minutes. But the short story is, I love it.
It's a really intense workout and the heat draws all the toxins out of your body and skin.
One of my favourite parts of the whole things is the shower afterwards - I just feel so much cleaner than I do when I shower anywhere else, and it's the perfect exfoliating opportunity... which brings me to the point of this post. All you need for the softest, smoothest skin in the world is:

• A body brush. I like these so much better than loofahs or exfoliating mitts; they're lovely and massaging without being at all abrasive and they do a beautiful job.
• Shower gel. Easier to carry in your workout bag than a bar of soap, and lots have added nutrients for you skin. My favourites are the Radox Soul Soother Shower Smoothie and Original Source's Lime Shower Gel.
• An amaaaazing moisturiser. I lovelovelove Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. It is amazingly moisturising but not greasy, it's helped to clear up the scars and marks on my body and it smells like CHOCOLATE :) yum.

Try it for yourself - you'll be amazed at the difference in the way your skin looks and feels!

Lots of love

xx

Breakfast Solutions: Oatso Simple

So I know this isn't really a beauty or style post but if you don't have your health you have nothing, right?
Right.

I don't know about you guys but when I was little, my mum tried valiantly and at regular intervals do get some porridge down my gullet. Ick. She tried it with honey, with berries, even with Nesquik powder. Nada. I was not going to eat no porridge.
I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again: I am not a morning person. Ideally, I would just roll out of bed around the crack of noon and roam the streets in my PJs, but I can't. Somehow I get my feet on the floor, wash my face and body, do my hair, makeup and make it out the door - with no breakfast. This was never a regular thing - up until a few years ago I had never once missed breakfast. But as schoolwork increased, commutes became longer and I had to deal with putting together pretty outfits, it started to happen. Now, when people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they mean it! It's not even about setting you up right or keeping your energy levels up (though of course it helps), but eating a healthy, moderate breakfast will keep you at a healthy, moderate weight. The same applies to eating balanced, decent meals at regular time intervals every day - you train your metabolism to expect food at a certain time so that it doesn't try and store energy in reserves. But if you're going to choose between breakfast and anything else, choose the former: your metabolism says "Hello, I'm awake now and because I'm being fed I know I'll have more food in a few hours so I am chilllllllled OUT!"

Yes? The hardest part for me is finding something nutritious, quick and scrummy. And here it is: Quaker Oats Oatso Simple sachets. One sachet (27g) with 180ml semi-skimmed milk holds 183 calories, 2.5g fibre, and 8.9g protein. I like the Sweet Cinnamon flavour best, but uou can check out the whole range here.

And the best part? All you have to do is add milk, microwave for 2 minutes, and ENJOY!

Max Factor 'Smoky Eye Effect' eyeshadow sticks review

Hey everyone,

So most of you have probably seen the ad for Max Factor's new(ish) creation: the Smoky Eye Effect eyeshadows (right). Now I don't know about y'all, but it takes me forever to do a really good smoky eye - and who has that kind of time on a regular basis?
The little short-cut-seeker that I rarely admit to being, I saw the gorgeous makeup in this ad and skipped out to git me some o' what she got (*insert Southern accent*).
The kits are cream shadows that come in double-ended sticks - one end for all over lid colour, and another conveniently tapered side for your crease. The sticks were on a two for three offer, so I bought Purple Dust, Silver Storm and Onyx Smoke (which is what the model wears in the campaign). Then I dashed along home to play with them.

The sticks are labelled 'Step 1' and 'Step 2', incase you're a total idiot (me) and can't work it out for yourself. They're very smooth in consistency, and relatively easy to apply. With the application, my one gripe is that the 'Step 1 ' or dome-shaped end, has to be pressed quite hard against your lid before you get noticeable colour. I would definitely prefer if this end were flat-topped. All the colours have a sheen to them, so they're not matte but there's no crazy glitterfest happening there.
My favourite of the three is probably Purple Dust, as it's very easy to create a day-to-night neutral smoky eye with. If you're planning on getting these babies know that:

1. Using a primer with them will give you the best results, as they do have a tendency to crease into your skin.
2. A fluffy eyeshadow brush (yes, I know they are cream shadows; and yes, I know they say you don't need to use anything but the stick for the 'perfect smoky eye') buffed over a generous amount of the shadows will make it look fabulous.

If all else fails, these are wonderful eye makeup primers and colour bases for more complex looks!

Thanks for reading xx

Advert image: http://images.blog.edelight.co.uk/lifestyle/beauty/maxfactor1.bmp

Eyeshadow sticks image: http://www.makeup4all.com/wp-content/uploads//2010/07/Max-Factor-Smoky-Eye-Effect-Eyeshadow-for-fall-2010.jpg

Dripping Moisture, Dazzling Shine

Hey guys,
To provide a full background to this post would mean going into the ins and outs of my hair. Boring and also very long. I will probably film a video on it and try to spice it up a little. Perhaps a little series on growing my hair out - would you guys be interested in that?
Anywho, the nub and gist of things is that about two months ago, my hair got very dry and dull. It pretty much looked like it was full of dust and felt like it was made of straw. I hadn't been abusing it, so what gives? But using a small variety of products and techniques, I managed to get it looking prettyyyy again :) and now I'm letting you in on the secret...

1. Shower Time

• As with most beauty routines, healthy, moisturised and shiny hair starts in the shower. I prefer moisturising shampoos over 'shine-enhancing ones'. They just do the job better. The main thing to look for is a shampoo with no more than one sulfate in it. Check out the deets here.
• I like to deep condition in place of a regular conditioner every time I wash my hair. Don't freak out - I body shower, shave, all that jazz on a daily basis, but I only shampoo every three days. For those in-betweeners, dry shampoo is your best friend. You can watch my video on how to use dry shampoo properly (and my favourite brands) here.
• Once a week before bed I'll coat my hair with my deep conditioner, clip it up and cover my hair with either a shopping bag or cling-film (whatever's handy). Wake up, wash out, presto - pretty hair.

2. Styling

• There are two to three products I use once my hair has been towel dried. The first is the Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream. This just acts as a leave-in conditioner and strengthener.
• Then I apply a generous amount of Shine Shock High-Shine Perfecting Glosser from the John Frieda Brilliant Brunettes line through my ends, then spread the remainder through the top sections of my hair.
• If it's a damp or rainy day, I'll use a ten-pence sized amount of John Frieda Frizz-Ease Weather-Proofing Style Sealant Creme. In short, hair cuticles that aren't flat (i.e. frizzy) aren't shiny. The top cause of frizzy hair: not having enough moisture in the cuticle. This means hair pulls moisture from the air causing it to go kerr-azy. A good anti-frizz product will either provide enough moisture to quench the hair shaft, or create a weather-proof barrier around it so that no unwanted water gets in.

3. Finishing Touch

• However I've styled my hair, I'll rub a pinkie-nail sized amount of shine serum between my palms and skim over my hair.
• Last but not least, I use a shine-finish hairspray like Dream Hair Sublime Style Super-Fine Hairspray by Charles Worthington. Opt for a spray with flexible hold that is weather-proof to eliminate that nasty frizz and stop the whole cement-head fiasco.

It worked for me, so now you can try it for yourselves! Fancy giving it a go? Leave me a comment on how you get on, and on what you do to keep your hair shiny and healthy!

Until next time x

Get it off! GLITTER NAIL VARNISH

Hey everyone,
So being the nail varnish freak that I am, I have a newwww craze: GLITTER POLISHES. My favourites?

OPI's "Absolutely Alice"

• The entire OPI Alice in Wonderland Collection. (I talk about these in my September favourites video). *sigh* Just gorgeous.
• Silver 555 by GOSH Cosmetics. This is possibly my favourite polish of all time - It genuinely is a silver nail varnish, and it's so highly pigmented that you only have to apply two normal coats to get perfect strong colour (none of that 'metallic' watery gunk here, thank you). It's proper glitter and unlike the Alice in Wonderland colours, is doesn't have great big chunks of actual sparkles in it.
• BYS Nail Enamel in Pot of Gold. More of a top coat or finishing touch, but still so pretty.

But for anyone who has worn glitter polishes before, you will know the dampener... removal time. OH my goodness, it is such a pain. The cotton pads catch on the glitter flakes and you're left with a tinge of colour and a roughness that you can either spend hours removing or days living with.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish

Remover is a fave...

Well - not any more! Obsessed, I wasn't about to stop wearing my new friends just because they had a nasty aftermath. So here's a little tip I came up with to help you say a goodbye to those sparkles:

1. Pour an acetone-based (read the label) nail varnish remover into a small side-bowl or sugar pot. Anything with a small diameter that your can get one hand into will do. You won't need to pour more than a depth of 2cm into it.
2. Dip the fingernails of one hand into your bowl, so that the whole of each nail is completely immersed. Best to leave them in for 2-3 minutes.
3. Dip a cotton pad into the polish remover and then gently slide it over each nail. Repeat once if necessary.
4. MOISTURISE like you never have before. It's always a good idea to apply a hand cream or Vaseline generously after using a nail varnish remover, because it will dry your hands and nails out. 

I hope this helps you guys - I know it's taken the pain out of sparkle polishes for me!

Love coming your way xx
OPI polish image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceVGCPOcX1OyCJTnSM82S3y1UyGf4wsoCn2ezY1C6p68fxPxaHnv3nMndgfT3kcmatOVdQZRlXzw3KjS3tU4Z5iFel45MjNenoNKdj0CuBzBVKg1LMznrJwbKFwyM47df_GA1xQIMHvoD/s400/opi-absolutely-alice-swatch-1.jpg
Cutex nail varnish remover image: http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/wcsstore/LloydsPharmacyScripts/images/catalog/otcMed/2490480_l.jpg

Stay Sane - the School Diaries

Hey guys,
In two days, I will have been back at school for exactly a month. And let me tell you, I am starting to feel it. The endless highlighting, summarising, revision, essays and lugging of books has my body and my brain aching.

It's leaving me wondering how in the world I'm going to get through the next ten months. So I've put together a system to help ease the pain:

• Travel mugs. If you don't have one - you need one. Not only does leaving the house with a warm cup of lovin' leave you feeling cared-for and toasty, but they are the perfect breakfast-on-the-go solution (and we all know how much I love those). Smoothies, nutrition shakes, even hot porridge can get slopped into these puppies about 30 seconds before you're out the door. Pack a spoon, and you're off!
• Water bottles. If you love the polar bears you'll grab yourself a re-fillable one. I never realised the impact of hydration - it's such a pain to keep drinking it all the time. But even if you only gulp down 50cl during the school day (that's an average Volvic water bottle size), the difference in how much more alert and - wait for it - cleaner you feel is shocking.
• Post-it notes. The best study tool I've found. Post-it. Everything. Pretty colours, too. The vibrancy helps keep the creative side of your brain awake when you're working, and you can colour-code topics or levels of difficultly. PLUS, you can write yourself funny little notes. Or is that one just me?
• Highlighters. See "Post-it notes" for details. Sooooo worth the extra time it takes to get your reading done. I like to go back over my notes at the end of the class and spend five minutes highlighting stuff I'm likely to forget.
• Emergency kit. You could get one from a website like Glitzy-Glam.com, or you could DIY-it. I keep a baby dry-shampoo, mascara, eyeliner, tweezers, nail file, concealer and tinted lip-salve in my gold Bobbi Brown travel pouch. Which I can't photograph for you because my camera has gone AWOL. Gahhhhh
• A finishing touch. Not necessary, but still nice. I scented a mahoosive wad of note paper at the end of the summer, and it makes me happy every time I get my writing pad out.

My guilty pleasure - it's a highlighter... and Post-its!

I hope this helps some of you! Are there any tips of your own you feel like sharing? Heaven knows, I need all the help I can get.

And now, my History essay is calling (screeching, actually - it's due tomorrow).

Wish me luck xx

Opening image courtesy of: http://cdnaccountancy.com/images/small/000002999139.jpg

Post-it pen image courtesy of: http://www.3mselect.co.uk/images/PRODUCT/medium/1847.jpg

Make mornings easier...

Okay, I'm not this bad...

Hey everyone,
This is a new tip I've been waiting to share, but I'm a bit hesitant as it comes with the risk of sounding like I have wayyyy too much free time. Firstly, thats farrrr from the case (like my multiple letters), and I've found that putting just a few hours into this will really speed you up in the long run. So, here goes:


Colour organise your wardrobe.


Don't laugh. Oh, it is so easy, it is heaven. I'm one of those people that functions better in a clean, tidy environment but, somehow, I can't seem to keep all my stuff in one place. For the last couple of months, I've been developing various organisation systems and they really help. When everything has a place, all you've gotta do is keep it there - and everything stays nice!
Being tidy saves you so much time and considering I move at the pace of a wounded sloth in the mornings, I need all the time I can get. Since I organised my wardrobe my colour (all my reds, blues, greens, yellows, whites hanging in there own little groupings), it takes me an average of five minutes - TOPS - to pick out what I'm wearing for the day. It goes one of two ways:

1. "I feel like wearing purple today," *turns to the left* "Ahh, how handy, here's all my purple clothing in one little section for me to choose from."
2. "I feel like wearing this skirt. But what should I piece it with? Ahh, here are all the co-ordinating colour palettes, so I can choose anything from here and look adorable in three seconds flat."

Plus, it's a good opportunity for a clear-out and when all your things are organised, you can make a shopping list of things you actually need. Honestly, it is the easiest thing in the world. Even if I'm wearing a t-shirt, jumper and jeans, it doesn't end up looking like I got dressed in the dark. And believe me, I've had those days. It's easy as pie - choose several colour groups that you wear the most and organise them first. Then look at the rest of your clothing and decide what group each item best fits. You can't go wrong.

Enjoy!

Opening Image: http://www.ohfransson.com/.a/6a00e54ed037198833011168640424970c-500wi
Closing Image: http://cdn3.ioffer.com/img/item/163/914/849/AUrUM0cN6rOBuho.jpg

Rugged Booties

Hey everyone

My new best friends

Just a little style post for you all on how to polish your worker-style boots. I bought these babies from Primark at the start of the season and they've become my go-to boot for the winter. They're also a very close match for All-Saint's biker boots so if you're not keen on shelling out £100+ (I wasn't), these are brilliant!


On to the topic of today's post - keeping them looking fabulous. I never used to take particular care with previous pairs of boots - I mean, it's called distressed leather for a reason, right? Wrong. Puddles, tripping up and cold weather left my boots looking oh-so-cool for the first month or so, but they were dead before the buds started to bloom.
I searched high and low for my Primark friends, and I plan on wearing them for more than one season - so I've worked out a way to preserve them but keep that busted-up feel. You'll need:

1. Wax-look shoe polish. I used Kiwi's Instant Wax shine in Brown. When choosing your colour, make sure it is either a perfect match or no more than a shade darker than the shoes.
2. Golf-shoe brush. Or any other shoe brush with veryyyy stiff bristles.
3. Shoe trees.
4. A polish cloth.
5. Weather-proofing spray.

Make sure the boots are clean to start with (and please note that this will not work on suede or nubuck shoes). Stick in your shoe trees - these will allow you to get an even finish. Working in small sections, slather the polish on and using quick, medium strokes, buff it in with your shoe brush. Once the whole boot is covered leave it for about an hour, so that the polish is 100% dry to the touch. Gently rub over your boots with the cloth - go easy as you're only trying to remove excess colour, not shine 'em up. Lastly, cover the whole boot with a generous amount of weather-proofing spray.

Carry out this process about once a month and it will cover scuffs, soften your boots and lengthen their lifespan, whilst helping your boots look worn-in and rough and tumble.

Hope this helped! Until next time

x

Opening photo courtesy of rottenottersthoughts.blogspot.com. Boot border photo courtesy of alisonstein.net

G-e-n-i-u-s... Urban Nails!!

Hey kiddies :)

I cannot wait to share this with you! I can't think of a good enough introduction to this post, so I'm just going to jump straight in:

My favourite eyeshadow in the world is Urban Decay 'X'. It's the first 'grown-up' eyeshadow I used back when I was thirteen and starting to play with makeup. X is a beautiful gold shimmer colour with hints of rose and - I kid you not - looks like your own personal sunset on your lids. As with all Urban Decay shadows, it is pigmented so that you know you're getting your money's worth, but the colour is buildable to suit the occasion. In short - I LOVE it.

The shadow was discontinued where I live but on my last visit to the States I managed to get my hands on some. You can't imagine how heartbroken I was when, unpacking at home, it fell out of my makeup bag and was crushed to smithereens. I tried using it as a pigment, but it just wasn't the same. And that's where this post comes in - 

Clearing out my old nail polishes, I realised I had to do something with my thirty-million clear varnishes. So I thought hey, what have I got to lose? I wasn't using my poor X anyway. I MADE MY VERY OWN URBAN DECAY NAIL POLISH!

Left - one coat. Right - two coats.

You can do this with any old eyeshadow or pigment (if you don't have any you want to use, buy a cheap shadow from a brand like ELF - 'Periwinkle' is gorgeous and beautifully pigmented). All you need is some clear varnish, a small plastic funnel (you can make your own by rolling some paper or card) and a little spoon.

I made sure to give my shadow pot a good bashing before I started to break up any clumps and help me get all the powder. Unscrewing the polish cap, I held the funnel at the top of the bottle and just tipped the powder in. Close, *shake shake shake* and you're done!

The result is gorgeous - and because X is a shimmer, I can wear two coats as a colour or just use it as a top coat on a darker shade. This trick does work best with matte shadows as the colours come out stronger in a varnish, though.

Final last words? Give the bottle a good swirl before you apply to make sure, in the words of Elvis Presley, it's "all shook up (uhh-uh, yeah yeah)"

Love love love

xx

Lip-STICK

Hey guys,
I've never really been big on lip products - Vaseline, maybe a pink lipgloss and that about sums it up. Recently I've gotten into lipsticks, and they're my new fetish :-) Here's a list of my favourite lip smackers and a very handy tip:

• Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips - not reeeeally a lipstick, but this stuff is AMAZING. It conditions, soothes, tints and it smells like FLOWERS. Although the product looks really dark and thick, it comes out with a perfect pretty rose-pink tint. Get it. Love it.

• Bobbi Brown Coral Lip Quad - lightweight, reasonable pigmented glosses. The pinkest shade gives a healthy, girlie glow to lips; the nudes are season-perfect and the golden colour? OH. MY GOODNESS. Has there ever been ANYTHING cooler?

• Clinique Different Lipstick in Sweet Honey - not nearly as brown as it photographs. It's a dark pink with hints of gold and a slight shimmer/sheen to it. This darkens my lips when I want more than just my Vaseline but don't want to go all-out burgundy. The best part? This is the only lipstick I've found that doesn't leave that heavy, I-am-wearing-a-kilo-of-lipstick sensation on my lips, yet it still manages to moisturise and is beautifully pigmented. How do they do it?

• NARS lipstick in Scarlet Empress - hsjdbfbhvslkbubdvjksjbvsnovn. There aren't words to describe how this product excites me. It is the perfect rouge noir/burgundy/plum colour that I've been searching for for weeks. I wanted something that would be showy-showy for nights, but that I could still wear during the day with brown mascara and an otherwise bare face. I'd been inspired by the look Jessica Lowndes wore in an issue of InStyle magazine. I wanted something a little more beetroot... and I found it! If I had to name a fault, it would be that this is not as heavily pigmented as I would like, but this does mean it's okay to wear in the day. I will just have to use more of it if I were going out.

Jessica Lowndes

... and on to the tip! One of the most frustrating things about lip colour, especially if you are wearing a darker shade, is how patchy and icky it looks as it starts to wear off. So how do you prevent this? It's all in the application:

1. When brushing your teeth, gently rub your lips with your toothbrush to remove dead skin and flakes. To amp up the exfoliating power, add a pinch of granulated sugar to your toothbrush.
2. Massage in a colourless lip salve for about 30 seconds before gently wiping off. If you leave the balm on, you can go ahead and give up on your lipstick having any staying power.
3. Line your lips with a creme lip liner that is either a close or perfect match to your lipstick. Then fill in your lips.
4. Using a lip brush (never to be undervalued) paint the colour from the tube onto your lips. You can blot and repeat but at this point I get lazy and to be honest, you don't really need it.
5. To touch up, you can just reapply straight from the tube!

Have you guys tried this? Did you like it? Are there any other tips you have on making lip colour last? I'd love to know!

Until next time,

x

We're live!!

Hey guys
LIVE ON YOUTUBE! The lighting and camera angle aren't the most flattering so I've got to play around with different setups to find something that works. But it's there!
It's a quick tutorial on the makeup Anne Hathaway wore in the September issue of Marie-Claire - soft pinks and golds with smokey black lashes.





Do have a look and leave a comment :)
'Cause in the end, it's all for you guys

Try with me!

Hey everyone - 

So apart from my introduction to you all, this is my first official post. Eek!

I stopped by Boots last night after dinner at Nando's and picked up a few beauty bargains - it's impossible to come out of there with just the thing you came in for...

I haven't tried (or even opened) any of the products yet, so what you'll get is a total first impressions blog. Once I've used the products a couple of times, I might do a comparison to similar products I've used and let you all know how I think they match up. Here goes - 

The first thing I picked up was the VO5 High Volume Ultimate Hold Weather Resistant Hairspray (that's a mouthful). It was £1.49 for a 400ml bottle - so cheap that I got one for for Mumma too! The new spray claims '5 Vital Benefits':

•               "All Day Hold that brushes out easily, leaving hair soft to touch"

•               "Weather Protection provides a shield against humidity for 24 hours, preventing frizz"

•               "Ultrafine Fast-drying Spray, with no sticky residue"

•               "Healthy Shine to finish your style"

•               "UV Filter to help protect against environmental damage"

I gave the can a quick spritz and it seems to produce a good mist - steady but not heavy enough that you'd think it would clump. It smells alright; it definitely smells like a hairspray. It's a little bit clinical, but the good thing is that I don't think it's strong enough to interfere with other scents you might wear. I'll have to see how it pans out. The great thing is that the bottle's so big and I use so little spray that I don;t have to worry about wastage - a great trick is to lightly mist your face with hairspray (close your eyes!) after you've finished your makeup. It helps hold everything in place and helps prevent shine, plus you save on products like Urban Decay All Nighter Long Makeup Setting Spray. Just be careful what hairspray you use - SLS's and parabens have a tendency to cause breakouts! 

Next up was Phil Smith Xtreme Style Xrated Shine Serum. I've been using Phil Smith Moisture Rich Shampoo and Conditioner since the summer started after my hair was completely ruined by Mane'n'Tail Shampoo and Pantene (more on those later) and I quite like it. It's put some shine and health back into what was fine, stripped hair. Let me know if you guys want a full review :) Anyway, I'd had by bottle of Salon Chic's So Smooth Shine Serum for at least two years (yes, that is how often I heat style my hair) and I decided we needed a new kid on the block. At £3.99 for 50ml, it doesn't come cheaaaap, but then neither to most shine serums (but you're only using max two pumps per application). They were on a 2 for £4 offer - which is practically buy one get one free - so I popped in an extra for Mum. The Phil Smith Serum lists wheat germ oil as its fourth ingredient. Wheat germ oil is high in Vitamin E and fatty acids, which are as essential for general health as they are for pretty hair and nails! To the touch, the Salon Chic is much more gel-like and scentless, where the Phil Smith has a softer consistency and smells like coconuts! Proper review to come.

The third product was V05 Frizz Relief Elixir Miracle Mist, which is a heat protectant and detangler. I'm not the biggest fan of detanglers as they tend to make hair brittle and weigh it down over time, but I bought this in place of the Charles Worthington Results Protect Heat Defence Spray I've been using (which smells a little like hospitals and is stickier than I'd like). I'll let you know how it goes.

Last but not least, Phil Smith Xtreme Style Xpert Sea Salt Wave Spray (retails at £3.99 for 125ml). I decided to bite the bullet and get this as a trial - I've been eyeing up Bumble and Bumble South Surf Spray for a while, but it's a tad expensive for a style I might not wear that often. I want to recreate Mary-Kate Olsen's look here, but after I tried to make my own salt spray (just sea salt and water - big time dry-out!!), I've been a bit cautious of the products. The one I bought claims to have conditioning properties and lists castor oil (great for hair growth) as an ingredient. I'll keep you posted.

Are there any products you guys have tried recently? I'd love to know! Do any of you fancy trying some of these with me?

As always, feel free to comment with any requests,

'Cause in the end, it's all for you guys.

PS: I hope to set myself up on a YouTube channel as soon as I've finished redecorating. That way I can get to know you all better and you'll get to look at a newly-painted bedroom instead of one halfway through being revamped.

One Down

Hey everyone -
Welcome to RestlessHearts01! I'm really excited to get to know you all and let you in on how it works.

Meeko - Pocahontas' little friend

I decided to start the blog as a girl-to-girl (and girl-to-boy!) beauty index after I'd been following the online beauty scene for a while. (For anyone wondering, my favourite go-tos are juicystar07 on YouTube and Renee over at http://www.beautyfool.net/). As much as I love what I've seen out there, there doesn't seem to be a blog/channel that's devoted to the stuff I'm after... and that's where RestlessHearts01 comes in. My favourite blogs are things like peoples' everyday hair routine or skincare advice. I love eyeshadow tutorials as much as the next person but I'm the first to admit that I'm more than a little slap-handed with stuff like that - it always ends up looking like I haven't slept in months or I'm related to Meeko. I'm more interested in universal tips than specific product reviews - finding out that applying moisturiser only in the morning to stop pores clogging up is something everyone can try so, unless you don't already have a moisturiser, you don't have you go shell out for a new product to see for yourself. So I aim to fill this blog with tidbits on how to get value for your money in the beauty world, handy bet-you'd-never-thought-of-that tips and whatever you'd like to see on here! I'd love for you to leave any suggestions in the comments or message me and I'll get right on it.
'Cause in the end, it's all for you guys ;)