Look Fantastic Haul

Hey All

Hope you've had a great week, mine has been a crazy one. I'm pretty sure they're always busy lately.

At the moment I'm in a massive hair dilemma, I don't know what to do with it at the moment. I'm so torn between grown up hair and pastel colours. Over the past few years it's taken a bashing with dye so I'm constantly getting new hair products to show it some love. I really do think it's worth investing in more expensive products. I find my hair doesn't like cheap shampoo.

When I saw a tweet about this months Look Fantastic beauty box had Moroccan oil in that was worth basically the value of the box I decided to order it. I've never ordered from Look Fantastic before but have been tempted as they sale the Sebastian range that I love (reviewed here) but never gotten around to placing an order.

The box also included a full size lip liner (mine is quite dark so I'm tempted to use this as an eye liner!), a lip balm (my lips are so dry I'm hoping this helps as nothing seems to at the moment!), a Korres body milk (I've tried this before and loved it!), a make up primer and cleansing bar.The primer seems great it's thick but feels smooth and the skin and adds a healthy glow without feeling greasy or oily.

I also couldn't resist some new shampoo and conditioner so went for the TIGI Bed Head Resurrection set. It was a bargain at £24 for 750ml bottles and came with a free hair brush. Other Bed Head stuff I've tried I've liked so fingers cross this is as good. It sounded like the perfect set for my over abused hair.

Even better when I ordered the Code MOB15 got me 15% off!

Have you ordered this months beauty box? I like that all the beauty boxes have the same stuff in so you can find out what you get before you order.

Love M

xxx

Empties 3

Today is another big empties post. I've really been working my way through my stash. Last week I posted about my make up empties which you can read here. My stash doesn't seem to be getting smaller product wise as my bathroom is still full!

I am trying to work my way through all my samples but it does seem to be taking forever. I really need to start using the things I buy more.

As you can see this is another big empties stash! I really need to do them more regularly as I love reading these posts as I think it's good to see what people have actually used up.

Hair Care

As you can see lots of hair things have been used up.

Superdrug Dry Shampoo - you can read my thoughts on this here, I'm not a fan and definitely won't be buying again.

Pure Argan Oil - I picked this up from ebay and it was only 3.99. I'll definitely be buying it again until I can treat myself to the macadamia oil which I think is the best one. Amazon is great for pure oils.

Boots baby shampoo - I use this for cleaning my make up brushes. It does the job and is cheaper than Johnsons. I do find it runs out quickly though so at the moment I'm using soap which seems to be doing the job just as well.

Soap and Glory Glad Hair Days - This is a soap and glory product I don't actually like. I really don't like this as a shampoo. i found it drying and it made my hair knotty. As I didn't want it to go to waste I've been using it as it shave gel. Shampoos you don't like make good shave gels as they lather well. Conditioner also works.

Tigi Bed Head Superstar - I absolutely loved this shampoo at first. I really felt like it made my hair look thicker but... and this is a big but after a few washes I noticed it was making my hair fall out. I don't know what it was about it but whenever I used it more hair came out and noticeable large amounts. Needless to say this then became a shave gel!

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner - I picked these minis up to go on holiday with last year as you got more product in them than others. I love that these are purple tinted to help prevent brassy tones. Great product but loving other higher end brands like Label.m and Sebastian to repurchase these.

Hairspray - I currently visiting my parents so don't have my empties with me and for the life of me I can't remember the brand. It came in a set from boots at Christmas time. I didn't really like it as it really coated my hair and was a hairspray that showed if that makes sense!

Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask - This is a great little mask. Nourishing and left my hair feeling soft. Not as good as macadamia one but a brilliant for the price.

Skincare

Etat Pur Micellar Cleansing Water - This was the first micellar water I used and I really liked it. Not heavy fragranced, easily removed face make up (A little harder on the eyes) and great for lazy make up days.

Caudalie Moisturising Cream Mask - This was a sample and only enough for one mask so a little hard to judge. Nice enough but nothing game changing to make me want to rush out and buy it.

Bioderma Sebium - Now this is a game changer. I didn't want to like this. It has such a cult love I didn't think it could be that good but when I won a competition with Escentual.com I got sent a sample and I instantly loved it. I prefer this one to the original. It's better on my skin. It is as good as everyone says.

Origins Brighter by Nature - I wanted to love these. I love the idea of an enzyme peel. I think I even convinced myself they were great. But in all honesty I don't think now I'd buy them again.

Amie Skin Cooling Clay Mask - I love this. The scent is amazing lime and peppermint mmm! It's great for the weather we've been having as it cools and refreshes while it's on the skin. I think I prefer this to the Origins Charcoal mask.

Carmex lip balm and origins whip stick - both featured in my last empties so I won't go on about them. Like both of them (enough to have had half used doubles of each of them).

Boots Cleansing Wipes - I tend to use face wipes to clean my brushes and wipe make up mistakes away so I'm not really fussy. Any ones will do for me but I don't really like baby wipes as I find them too dry.

Lancome Eye Make up Remover - I love this. Almost as much as my No7 one. Not enough to pay the huge difference. If you can afford it though it's a great eye make up remover, it doesn't tug, melts away make up and is the least greasy whilst being most effective that I have tried. I'm hoping Lancome do a Christmas set with this and the Hypnose mascara.

No7 Eye Make Up Remover - Anyone who knows me knows I love this stuff. I go through bottles of it. I think it's really important to use proper eye make up remover most of the time. It's gentler on the eyes and less pulling hopefully means not causing extra wrinkles. This is a great price (when using a voucher) and really effective. I will be buying over and over again. I've even converted L.

Other

Planet Spa Hand Cream - This is my favourite hand cream and I've tried a fair few. I love the scent (shea butter) and the way it sinks in and moisturises. I always keep a stock of these.

Glotanz tan in a can - This is my favourite tan at the moment and I'm so glad we got to try it. It's easy to apply, pretty much scent free and gives me a perfect tan after one coat (most fake tans on me require at least two!). L has kindly donated me hers but I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb EDP - This is my most sad empty. If I had a fragrance this is it. It's beautiful and oriental and lasts on my skin. But at £60 a bottle it's a wait till Christmas. The Zara perfume in oriental is keeping me going for the time being. 

Givency Perfume Sample - ok perfume but would repuchase.

Celebre Body Spray - I'm not a body spray person but this was given to me so I have used it up. The scent is ok but not one I'd chose as I prefer something with a bit of a sweeter or oriental twist.

Marc Jacobs Daisy - L was kind enough to give me her bottle of this to try as I said I wanted it. I absolutely loved the scent and people commented on how it smelt very me. The bottle is beautiful and I'll be sad to see it go off my desk. The only downside is it didn't last long. My skin tends to need parfum versions.

Soap and Glory Hand Food - Raved about by both L and I and many others, great hand cream, amazing smell. But I do prefer the Avon Planet Spa one as it's a bit cheaper and sinks in better.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser - This will always win the hot cloth cleanser scent wars for me. I find it's thicker than most and one of the most gentle. Due to the price there is another I now prefer more. (read about that here) will still continue to repurchase as a treat buy.

So that's another long list of empties!! What have you been using up lately? Leave me links to your empties posts!

Love M

xxx

Beauty Rehab

I haven't posted one of these in a while but have still been trying to make my way through plenty of products!

It seems endless and although I always seem to be finishing things I feel I need to step it up a gear in time for Christmas.

This moisturiser was bought ages ago and it took me a while to use it up.

It was ok, the 'firming' ones never seem to work as well as they claim they do!

I wouldn't buy this again as it took quite a while to sink in.

These are both good tanners but not worth the money, sprays always seem to run out so fast and I personally prefer a lotion now, even if sprays can be easier to use on the back and hard to reach areas!

I personally felt that the Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner was, for want of a better word, pointless.

The smell was too floral for me and the spray felt like a waste of product, when the product was on my skin it felt like it didn't do a thing.

Liz Earle is obviously my favourite cleanser and every time I finish another bottle I die a little inside.

Maybe a little dramatic but it's true.

I am so tight for cash but this is one of the things I'd buy with pennies!

Loved the Dreams Unlimited butter, it sank in and didn't sit on my skin for a long time.

I personally would buy this again but the price of the Body Shop puts me off.

The Soap and Glory butter is just as moisturising but much cheaper.

The Tigi Control Freak Conditioner was great, and it smelt gorgeous!

I would pick this up again in TK Maxx as I feel it is worth the money.

Sebastian Potion 9 was bought ages ago on recommendation from my previous hairdresser.

I did enjoy using it and it did have a positive effect on my hair and maybe I'd buy it in the future but currently have so many hair products to use I can't afford the space.

The M&S Lime body butter was divine. I couldn't stop smelling myself whilst wearing it!

The smell lingered for a while but wasn't overpowering and my skin felt hydrated, would definitely buy it again!

As far as mattifiying moisturisers go the No 7 worked nicely. Seeing as my skin has become drier of late I found this does not provide enough hydration and so needed something more, and would be pointless in repurchasing.

I find Simple products a little boring. When I was younger they were great for when I had no idea what to use and my skin was more sensitive, but now I just felt like I was applying a cheap moisturiser and one that isn't quite so innocent as it seems.

How tastes change!

Benefit They're Real Mascara was in my opinion, amazing!

I did love it, but as with all mascaras they always run out or dry up and sometimes this seems a little annoying for the price tag.

I would pay for this again, but due to my current financial situation I will be sticking to my current new find which I will be blogging about soon!

The Pretty Quik nail drying spray was another pointless buy.

I never find that they help and always leave my hands greasy so I think I will have to remember this every time I consider it!

What have you been using up recently? Have you been trying to use more before Christmas?

L xxx

Review: Tigi Bed Head Some Like it Hot and Control Freak Conditioner

Whilst in America (I know I keep banging on about it but it really is relevant!) the humidity was an absolute nightmare for my hair!

As we all know, the natural look on holiday is 100% acceptable.....but frizz can always be combated by a little serum to help you stop looking like you've touched an electric socket. 

I couldn't use my hair dryer as it was no more use than a small warm breeze because of the electric converters, so I was left to let it dry naturally.

For the most part it was fine, but on the days it was slightly colder (7 weeks is a long time for naturally drying your hair!) it went flat at the roots and frizzed out at the ends........not so hot!

I invested in some Tigi products whilst I was out there to help with this and these were what I got:

Tigi Bed Head - Some Like It Hot Heat and Humidity Resistant Serum

Tigi Bed Head - Control Conditioner for Frizz Control and Straightening

Some Like It Hot is a serum to help with humidity and heat issues. 

The heat wasn't so much a problem for me as I wasn't styling my hair but the humidity certainly was!

I applied this as directed on the back of the bottle, one pump into towel dried hair before styling.

The serum is just like any other, clear and quite a bit runny, it also smells pretty good as expected from Tigi.

The pump for this was pretty sturdy too and I was impressed as some can be SO flimsy!

The serum did its job pretty well, and although on some days where the humidity was RIDICULOUS it held up pretty good and I had noticeably less frizz coming out when my hair was finally dry.

The second product I bought was the Control Freak conditioner that I added into my shower routine as soon as I bought it....and I have to say it smells GORGEOUS!!

As soon as I poured it onto my hand I could smell the sweets like aroma and knew I was going to love it.

I hate overpowering floral smells as they give me an instant headache, but this was a light smell just like sweets and I loved it.

There's a whole range of Control Freak products but I only managed to pick up the conditioner which was a shame because I loved this conditioner and would definitely pick up some more next time I run out.

My hair is very frizz resistant after investing in these two products, it's sleek and smooth and hopefully getting into a much better condition than it was before after my lack of heat styling.

Do you enjoy going on holiday and not using any heat styling products? 

Have you used these Tigi products before?

L xxx

7 Weeks of Shopping - Sorry Bank Account

If you're a regular reader then you'll know that I (L) have been in America the past 7 weeks for a uni course.

I got back last night and spent 14 hours sleeping after completely missing a night of sleep due to the travelling.

I've spent the majority of today lazing around, sorting washing and unpacking my suitcase of all the treasures I bought.

So, sit down with a cup of tea (I'm slowly catching up on 7 weeks worth ha!) and I hope you enjoy looking at my vast range of purchases!!!

I've included the prices where I could and the pound equivalent so you'll be able to see how much cheaper it was there, I was in heaven.

First up it's the nail varnishes...I haven't bought any new ones for a little while.

I might be lying to myself here but let's go with it for now ;)

So when I saw these in the shops for a much cheaper price than at home I couldn't resist stocking up!

Revlon nail polishes were $7 each, which is £4.50.

I bought the pink scented one called Raspberry Rapture along with their new range of nail treatments including (L-R) Fast dry drops, Post Trauma treatment and Calcium nail hardener which was great for my nails after spending 3 weeks of my time in the dirt digging.

I haven't mentioned this before but the course I went to do was Forensic Anthropology, and so lots of my time was spent using my hands and trowels to dig up plastic bones, which FYI is not good for the nails!

I also bought the Barielle wedding collection which I have previously posted about here and have a NOTD from them coming up. This cost me $10 at TJ Maxx which was such a bargain!

Next up I took full advantage of Nicole by OPI being $7 in Walmart and picked up a normal glitter one with hearts in and 2 Kardashian colours (Wear Something Spar-Kylie review here and also Kimpletely in Love)

I also bought my first ever Essie nail polish in Sand Tropez which I wouldn't have looked twice at but I'd read about it online and fell in love when I tested it! A review will certainly follow!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in 540 Frutti Petutie $5 or £3.20

2 brand new China Glaze polishes were bought in a 3 for 2 deal with the Essie polish (I could have bought so many!!!) and were originally $7/8 each but were $16 for all three which is a bargainous £10.30.

The colours I bought were Turned up Turquoise and Pool Party. So looking forward to using these!

Lastly I'm a bit of a Hunger Games geek and when I noticed the Capitol Colours mini set for $13.95 (£9) I had to buy it!

I was quite reserved when I got to Mac, I knew what I wanted to buy and got exactly that and nothing else!

I could have easily gone mad but I had to be careful after wanting so many other things.

Pressed powder in medium ($22/£14.20)

Studio Fix Fluid ($27/£17.40)

Eye brow pencil ($14/£9)

I've wanted to try the Revlon Photoready products for a while but had loads of foundation and could never justify the price so was waiting for an offer to be on.

I bought the PhotoReady powder and the Colorstay foundation ($10 each or £6.50) and the PhotoReady Perfecting Primer ($12/£7.70), hence why I gave in as they were all at a reduced price.

Lastly I also bought the Almay Smart Shade primer which was $10/£6.50 and is green and purple to correct any kind of colour imperfection you have. As far as I know we don't have Almay in the UK (I may be wrong) so this definitely intrigued me!

I've always wanted to buy Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream, and I found it in TJ Maxx for $7, a whopping £4.50! I was so excited I almost screamed! What a bargain for a 50g tube!

The L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base was a favourite of mine when it came out and was at it's introductory price of £10, but at £14 for so little product I wouldn't justify buying it again. For $10/£6.50 I certainly will!

My Benefit haul could have been so much bigger but I ran out of cash (on my last day I had $16 for all 3 meals...oops!)

Cha Cha tint was on my list for so long and I've fallen in love with it! $29/£18.70

Am yet to try 'They're Real' but I've been told it's really good for people with straight lashes who want them to curl, here's hoping! $23/£14.80

I was surprised to see Real Techniques brushes over there, I have 2 already but just didn't think they'd be there. I was even more surprised to see they were $17 (£11) for the core collection which is £18 in Boots!

I snapped that up so quickly they probably thought I was crazy!

I also rebought my Naked palette after mine went 'missing' at a friends house.

Won't say any more about that but I was soooooooo pleased at having this back in my life!

After owning it for 6 weeks after Christmas and using it most days I felt like I'd lost a limb, now I can finally show you my smokey eye designs with it!

This was $50/£32 so not much cheaper than the £36 it costs in Debenhams but I needed it ;)

I think like most bloggers at the moment, Origins is my skin care of choice.

Their Eye Doctor (found here) has completely renewed the skin around my eyes and any lines I had have gone.

We're big fans of products without chemicals on this blog so Origins are a big winner.

I snapped up lots of oily skin products which I cannot wait to use!

Out of Trouble mask: $22 (£14.20)

Zero Oil Instant Matte Finish: $13.50 (£8.70)

Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner: $19.50 (£12.50)

Ginzing Eye Cream: $29.50 (£19)

Zero Oil Oil-Free Moisture Lotion: $26 (£16.70)

As you can see from this, I made a big saving on most of their products!

Neutrogena Deep Clean Daily Scrub is the best thing I found out there, my skin broke out really badly when I got there and this baby cleaned them up right away!

Both Tigi products were from TJ Maxx - Some Like it Hot humidity protector and Control Freak Conditioner. Can't remember the prices but they were verrrrrrrrry cheap.

Lastly I know Nioxin has been doing the rounds recently, and if it wasn't for that I would never have noticed this in TJ Maxx also.

For the shampoo, conditioner and scalp activating treatment in the full sizes of 500ml or 50ml for the treatment I paid................................$10!

I couldn't believe my eyes!

I'm always wanting my hair to be bigger and more voluminous and instead of paying the $37 for the kit online it was $10, amazing!

The only difference I can tell between this and the current kit is that the packaging has changed so that it fine by me.

What do you think of my buys??? I went completely overboard but I couldn't stop myself with all of the bargains to be had!!

M is going to America in September and is already making a list....I'm also making one for her too ha!

This is not going to help with my beauty rehab posts at all!

I'm such an addict!

L xxx

Beauty Rehab

I am both proud and appalled at my usage this month...proud at how much I've got through and again, appalled at how much I still have to get through!

Here's what I managed to use up this month:

St Ives sugar body scrub: Love the tub so I can scoop handfuls out and it's not too expensive either, would possibly repurchase

Soap and Glory's Sit Tight: Love this product for getting rid of the extra orange peel on your thighs! The warmth as you sit down and do nothing just makes it feel even better too ;)

Nick Lowe Night Cream: I liked the consistency of this and it sunk into my skin nicely but felt a little too much for my oily skin sometimes, don't think I'd repurchase

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser: absolutely loved this tester from Red magazine, have bought the full version so I can review it properly!

Collection Illuminating Touch concealer: Loved the ease of use of the pen and the concealer covered very well, particularly the bags under my eyes! Would definitely repurchase as it was such good value for money

Natural Collection Antique Coral: Have had this for ages and absolutely loved the colour, perfect for spring and summer and would definitely repurchase

Schwarzkopf Got 2b Guardian Angel Hair Protector: I don't really use hair protector much but know i should so I made the effort to use this, I believe my hair is in much better condition for doing so though I'm not sure why! I only seem to blow dry my hair at the moment and rarely style it with irons or a wand so using heat stylers may be a different story. Because of this I wouldn't repurchase this...but if my hair gets worse I'll buy it again!

Tigi Bed Head Superstar Conditioner: Absolutely loved this product, would repurchase again without hesitation. Lovely smell and amazing results, if you're lucky you can get this in TK Maxx!

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation: More than loved this foundation too, it really worked well in giving a more awake effect and I have just repurchased another bottle for being so good and finishing 3 foundations off (see more below!) Goes on like a dream and is much higher quality than some of their other foundations

Lush Brazened Honey face mask: Was bribed into buying this one by the assistant even though I wanted the chocolate one, it was a bad decision and I haven't been back since! I didn't even finish this product, it didn't smell all that great when you had it on your face and it was so rough on my skin that it was almost painful to take off. Cardiff Lush I am not impressed, you lost yourself a customer!

Soap and Glory Off you Face Wipes: Had a breakout whilst using these wipes and I'm pretty sure it was caused by using these wipes. I don't think it was a reaction to them, more like it didn't clean off enough of the dirt off my face so it built up, wouldn't purchase again just in case!

Kerastase Bain Satin Shampoo: Loved this! Even though its for drier hair, my hair was never too greasy after using it and felt in great condition. Would definitely repurchase!

Charles Worthington Take Aways hairspray: Have had this in my bag for a while now for touch ups, the bottle lasted quite a long time (that's why it's a bit bashed!) but as far as hair spray goes, I'm afraid Tresemme Freeze hold already has my heart!

Inecto Pure Coconut Hair Repair Treatment: This was bought from Home Bargains when my hair was feeling awful after spending so much time at the gym and swimming in the pool, it worked a treat for the minimal price that it cost, though can definitely load the hair with product quite easily and it contains a long list of parabens that I'd usually avoid

Avon Care Smoothing Body Lotion: I absolutely loved this moisturiser, it sinks in so fast and really does work, my skin felt amazing. I particularly love buying them when they're on offer which they frequently are, they must be a good seller as there's a few varieties and I would definitely repurchase

Soap and Glory Pulp Friction: Loved this product. Loved the smell, the texture, the foaming and the results. Would definitely buy again, especially in the 3 for 2 deals!

No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Oily skin: Initially I loved this product as it wasn't too heavy on my skin and is a thinner cream almost like a lotion, however as time went on I wasn't very inspired by it and I didn't feel like it was doing much for my skin. Wouldn't buy this again

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer: I quite liked this product, I do feel that it worked quite well at keeping my make up on longer than it would otherwise and for the price (around £6 I think) is definitely worth it if you just want your make up to last a little longer. However i think for now i will still continue my search for the ultimate primer!

So there we have it...I've been trying extra hard to use up more products and I have a feeling it won't be long until another post either!

Do you think I've done well? Have you been doing a similar thing recently or have you given up on using old products and given into temptation for new ones?

L xxx

Review: Tigi SLS free Shampoo and Conditioner for Thick Massive Hair

After writing a post on SLS (which you can read here) I've been looking into finding products that do not contain it.

Tigi have a Sulfate free shampoo and (I think) conditioner that I managed to find in my local TK Maxx (meaning it was cheaper than the RRP!) so I grabbed it as fast as I could!

The range is their Superstar range for Thick Massive Hair, which in my book is ALWAYS a bonus!

My hair is fairly long and I have a lot of it, but I still like to maximise it as much as possible and make it big and bouncy, so I was looking forward to seeing the results of the products and the effect of them being sulfate free.

 

The shampoo is harder to lather up than your normal shampoo, due to it being sulfate free but I noticed absolutely no difference in the cleaning of my hair which ultimately is what a shampoo is all about.

If a product can lather up and do as good a job as it can compared to a product with the sulfates in, I don't see why using a product with them in is necessary!

I will definitely be looking into using sulfate free products more often, and have recently bought a Naked shampoo and conditioner set to try.

I also quite liked the pump on top of the bottle which worked really well and is quite solid, some of them are flimsy and don't do a very good job.

 Also the packaging......BRIGHT PINK = LOVE!!

I'm quite girly but normally prefer things to remain simple with packaging, this works for me as the shape and design is simple and in one of my favourite colours

 

The conditioner doesn't state on the front that it is sulfate free but the contents as far as I have read do not mention any kind of sulfates so I'm a little confused with this.

 

Anyway, it's a good conditioner, not too heavy but feels good enough being applied to the hair that you know your hair will feel silky smooth afterwards.

I wouldn't rave over the conditioner and tell everyone it's amazing, but it definitely does leave my hair feeling good and if it doesn't contain sulfates then that can only be a bonus!

I would definitely like to keep using sulfate free products as I believe using products with sulfates in do lead to irritation of your skin. However mainly I would like to see if it reduces the amount of hair that I lose each day.

Even though I have a lot, and a certain amount of hair shedding is natural, I do seem to lose quite a bit of hair each day, and I'm interested to see if this changes!

Do you use sulfate free products? Would you be willing to pay a little bit extra for them?

L xxx