Salon Success Event

Hey all!

We've been very busy recently with events which has been lovely, not only is it nice to hear about new products and get to try them out but catching up with other bloggers and meeting new ones is also a favourite part of any event.

We were kindly invited to an event last week by Salon Success, it was an amazing evening and felt like we were having a catch up meal with friends!

On arrival we were greeted with champagne and shown to a beautifully decorated table in St David's Hotel. It felt very posh but also cosy, as we had a room to ourselves with a view of Cardiff Bay and lots of friendly faces to chatter with.

After sitting down we could have a look at the products laid out at each place for us to learn about whilst we were there. The event was put on by Salon Success who represent Paul Mitchell and New CID Cosmetics amongst others, here we also had products from Marula Oil, Awapuhi and Mitch by Paul Mitchell.

First up though, we were treated to a glorious three course meal from the menu above. All courses were absolutely gorgeous and we fully enjoyed it (forgetting alllllllll about our holiday diets!)







It was gorgeous, the warm apple tart tatin was a particular favourite!

We all ooh'ed and aah'ed over the food and the products for quite a while until we decided to get stuck in and trying everything out. As I've already mentioned it was just like having a meal with friends and we all gossiped and shared stories so I think we went way over our original time!

We were lucky enough to take all of the products home with us to try, and also a bag of make up from New CID Cosmetics. I've always wanted to try a number of their products after Mia's reviews and so I was very excited by this, especially the i-groom!

We even managed to sneak outside for a quick selfie outside but it was horrible weather!

We had a lovely time at the event and having a good old natter about hair and make up, which after a day of work is exactly what you need really isn't it??

We will be putting up posts with reviews in future so if anything catches your eye don't forget to check back. I can already tell you that the Marula Oil Rare Oil Treatment smells divine and works a charm!!


L and M xxx

Laguna Health and Spa*

Hey All

As I write this L is on her way to Paris for a work trip lucky lady! Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to the Park Plaza hotel in Cardiff for some treatments in the Laguna Health and Spa. I actually used to be a member of the gym there so have used the pool many times but never had treatments.

We were treated to a 25 minute treatment each. L chose a massage and I choose a facial! A facial is always the treatment I choose for a spa day. I find them relaxing. The reception area had a great display of Elemis products and little ornaments and candles around. It was comfortable to sit whilst waiting for treatments. For spa days there is a dining room and relaxing room so you don't have to leave the spa to eat lunch (I do prefer this for spa days as once I've got my robe on I don't want to have to get dressed mid way through!).

The rooms we were in were clean, neutral and felt calming. There were little tealights around the sink area and a chair to put your things on. The beds were comfortable and the towels big enough to cover you. I do find sometimes It can be cold having a facial as the towel is a bit short but here it was fine and the rooms were a comfortable temperature.

My facial was amazing!! I think I had a cleanse, exfoliation, mask, eye mask, tone and moisturise. It was so relaxing. While the mask was on the therapist gave me a head massage that was so relaxing! I also really like that the eyes were given attention as I've found usually during a facial nothing was put on the eyes except cotton pads so it was nice product was put on them. I couldn't fault the therapist. The only suggestion I would give is to give clients a sheet with the products that have been used or tell them as I like to know what's been used as sometimes like to purchase them after a treatment!

L also liked her massage. She said it was really relaxing and a great massage.

It involved not only a full massage from neck to shoulders and lower back, but also a scrub which was lovely and unexpected. Her skin has been feeling so soft since then! 

Both treatments were great and I'll defintely look to go back when me and my mum look for our next spa day!

Park plaza also do amazing afternoon teas which L and I have been for before. I recently went for the Gin Afternoon tea with friends. Some spa packages include the afternoon teas so I thought I'd show you some photos of them. L and I went a while ago for the normal one but I think it's pretty similar offerings still.

Love M

xxx

Lidl Goodies

Good morning!

Today's post is about some bargain treats that I picked up from everyone's favourite cheap food store....Lidl. Their beaut stock is always a hit and miss, shambles of an area but I've been seeking out some hidden gems in the hair products and felt I needed to share these.



I picked up the Oz Botanics Deep Conditioner and the Macadamia Oil Extract Conditioner both of which were £1 each, absolute bargain.

First up under scrutiny was there Oz Botanics deep conditioner:



First off you can't go wrong with a huge post of what is essentially a hair mask. I dived right in with this one as my hair has been looking a bit nasty recently; highlights, a bit of sun and general wear and tear on my long locks have begun to take their toll.

I jumped in the shower and scooped a load of this onto my head, left it for a few minutes whilst showering and scrubbing before rinsing it out.



It sounded so promising; 'manage dry and damaged hair by smoothing split ends and roughened cuticles'

Sadly this was not the case. After applying this to my hair and rinsing it out the product felt quite thick and sticky on my hands, and my hair just felt coated rather than hydrated.

Even after extra rinsing and drying my hair as usual it felt coated and so I can't say I'll be rushing to use it again! It was worth a try for £1 but this would be a miss from me.



My second pound purchase was the Macadamia Oil Extract conditioner, and I tackled this one with a little less enthusiasm than the first but was pleasantly surprised.





The packaging on this one was a little more inventive and decorative but definitely cheap, the wording was hard to photograph as it was so shiny and the writing was stretched but never mind eh!



After using this a few times my hair has felt nourished and revitalised somewhat and feels considerably better than when I used the deep treatment. I've been using this every time I've washed my hair for the last few weeks and haven't experienced any build up so this was the obvious winner of the two for me.

For £1 for each it's worth buying a few things to try even if they're hit and miss! I've not seen these products in my local Lidl since so they were probably the last few palettes in a job lot, not surprising really!

I think Aldi have a more steady product range in the beauty department and having tried out their skincare before I will have to venture into their hair care too as Lidl seems to be a bit of a gamble......but who doesn't like a bit of risk eh??

Have you tried either of these products? Do you have any recommendations for bargain products from Lidl or Aldi? Or anywhere else for that matter!


L xxx

Origins: Make A Difference Skincare Kit

Good morning!

When this post goes live I will be sweating it out in the gym for the first time in ages, not that I haven't been but I've booked myself onto Body Pump which I haven't been to for a few weeks.....so I'm worried for my arms!

If you're a regular reader you'll know that we are both fans of Origins and of trying new products so this cute little set was everything I could ever want and couldn't resist in the shop...

The Make a Difference (MAD) range is something I've tried before but haven't tried any of these particular products. This set contains a cleansing milk, rejuvenating serum, rejuvenating treatment lotion and moisturiser.

Let's start with the cleansing milk....

This is a white lotion type cleanser, its very runny and therefore fits very well being called a milk (obviously!). You apply it to dry skin and then rinse it off afterwards with warm water. This cleanser was really good at removing make up and removed most of my eye make up but did need a bit of extra help on mascara, but I find most cleansers don't get rid of it all anyway -or maybe I just cake it on?!

It's lovely and moisturising so would be great for any skin type as it's not heavy at all and my skin liked it.

The treatment lotion was something that surprised me.
Let me take the time to mention that this entire range smells absolutely divine, it's so fruity and zesty and just all round lovely that when it comes to using the treatment lotion I probably use it up more by smelling it in between uses, it's that beautiful!
That said, the treatment lotion is lovely and cooling and removes any remainder of make up and cleanser. As a general non-toner user it's been a lovely surprise to have enjoyed using this and I'd even pick it up again.

The serum is something I've mentioned before as it was an absolute dream to use! It's been one of my favourite serums I've ever used but at £32 a bottle I just can't justify it at the moment.
It sank into my skin straight away, smelt amazing and hydrated my skin without overdoing it. Loved it.



Lastly the moisturiser, basically this was a moisturiser version of the serum. A thick white cream that hydrated my skin easily without overloading it and obviously smelt amazing too!

This whole range is amazing so I'd snap it all up again in full size without a second thought if I could afford the money and space. Hopefully when my stash has decreased in size by 90% then I will pick these up again.

Have you tried anything from the MAD range? Are you a serum fan?
Do you love trying out sets like this?

I always think its a great way to try new things out!

L xxx