Beauty Rehab

Good morning ladies!

I hope you're excited for the weekend!

I have been rather sneaky the past 2 months....as I have actually been on somewhat of a spending ban but just couldn't bring myself to admit it to anyone apart from M. In previous 'bans' I've cracked under the pressure and lure from working in Boots and seeing new products EVERYWHERE.

However now that I no longer work there and am instead surrounded by drugs and chemicals and spend an hour driving to and from work each way my free time has been considerably shortened and i now spend my weekends doing things, as opposed to shopping.

So basically what I'm saying is........I'VE MADE IT 2 WHOLE MONTHS WITHOUT GOING ON A SPREE!!!!

There are of course a few exceptions to this statement. I did buy a lipstick and blush (totalling £20) as a congratulatory present to myself at the end of June, which I'm allowing once a month in a bid to keep me on track.

Then i found out that my Debenhams Beauty Card points were about to expire, and £15 was not worth losing! So I hotfooted it to my local store and bought Benefit's Erase Paste at M's insistence which had 10% off at the time and therefore cost me £2.55 (I feel this is surely acceptable!). I also picked up another lipstick from MAC as I had enough empties for a free one.

Lastly I picked up a No7 eye make up remover using my £5 off voucher meaning I only spent £3 on it so it is in fact another bargain. So in total I spent £25.55 in the past 2 months.

It is true I broke the spending ban but for those bargains how could I not??

As a result of my lack of spending I have been powering through my stash in a bid to reduce it down. Nobody needs enough to please an army of thousands of girls so here's what I've managed to use........

This has been my storage bag for all of the products I've managed to use. I'm going to keep it in my wardrobe and write whenever it gets full as that seems to have worked for me so far.

Here's the contents of said bag after 2 months:

I think i did ok didn't i??

Let's have a closer look.

Here are the small things:

Bit of a mish mash really. 4 concealers all of which were great. Collection probably wins in the price category and I have another already, but i did LOVE how hydrating Fake Up was which I'd consider repurchasing in the future (I have bought Erase Paste to compare it to!). The Origins serum was lovely but unfortunately only had 2 uses out of it so can't say much for it's effects.
The Soap and Glory scrub was brilliant as expected, and the Lush BIG shampoo was definitely interesting. It was a salt based shampoo that had huge granules of rock salt in, they almost scrubbed your scalp and hair in a gentle way before dissolving and then leaving your hair 'big', this worried me however due to drying out my hair.
The No7 is a great clear top coat that dries pretty fast and is worth it especially with the vouchers.
The Maybelline Rocket mascara was ok, not the greatest but pretty good for the price.

I think it's safe to say that Soap and Glory are rated highly in my opinion, and Peaches and Clean was a surprising like for me. I thought it would be average but I have genuinely loved it and would repurchase after finishing off some other cleansers I have. It's so easy to use and removes make up in a flash, including heavy eye make up.
Dove Summer Glow is my favourite tanning moisturiser and will always be repurchased! It gives me a base colour before I apply tan for a more realistic colour.
Origins Make a Difference Serum is amazing and I'd repurchase if I had the money! 

Vichy Normaderm products are really good in my opinion, they're great for oily skins and troubled skins regardless of oil levels, and if you're stuck for a product, definitely try one of these!
DiorSkin Forever foundation was a dream, literally. I loved it and would get it again!
Rimmel Recover was so glittery I would never get it again tho, they've moved on to Wake Me Up and that's a lot better.

Etat Pur micellar water was ok, but it wasn't as good at removing eye make up as I thought it would be.
Nioxin was an awful conditioner, firstly it was cooling which I'm not a fan of but this conditioner didn't do anything for my hair.
Firminator was an S&G purchase form years ago that i still had, and have just finished. Again, its cooling which I don't really like so didn't use it regularly enough for proper effects.

TIGI shampoo is awesome, I'd repurchase this for the SLS free-ness, the smell, the pink bottle and the fact it's often present in TK Maxx. Another Dove moisturiser which sunk in easily, I think that they're really good for price.
I loved my Molton Brown shower gels and this purple one was my favourite smell.
Revlon Airbrush foundation is gorgeous but can be hard to apply. The mousse foundation also lasted forever and was so worth the money g/£.
The Origins moisturiser was amazing for my dehydrated skin so I'd repurchase this unless I can find a similarly hydrating one!


So that was just a quick run down as I don't think its necessary to talk about every product.
What do you think of my empties? How long has your ban been going on for?


L xxx

P.S. HAPPY FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

MAC: All That Glitters Eyeshadow

Good evening!

Bit of a later post from me today, I'm having a bit of a nightmare week and although I leave at 7am I haven't been getting in until 7pm some nights because of traffic etc and I've been so tired!

I tried to write this last night but as Flickr is apparently due to be down this evening I panicked and tried to get all my picture sorted before collapsing into bed for my 5.45am alarm.....grim!

But anyway, today's review is on a beautiful eyeshadow from MAC called All That Glitters.

I picked this up back when it was my birthday as it was a beautiful shimmery peachy nude that just seem to go with everything. I wear it so much and it's so pretty and delicate that I can wear it to work and out in the night.

I normally would have bought the full individual eyeshadow but having bought a palette at the same time I picked up the pan instead. This was the first one I have bought and it was so easy to pop into the palette as the magnet was already on the back (in comparison to depotting my others which you can see here!).

My palette is looking a little bit random at the moment...these have all been picked up over the years and together they really don't blend!
I need some more middle toned nudes, what would you recommend? I have a few pigments from MAC that I would love to fit in here but have no idea if that's possible, does anyone have any ideas?
I have this side with the insert for eyeshadows and then another half with nothing in so far so I'm interested in anything!

The lady who did my make up for my birthday this year used All That Glitters for my nude smokey eye which turned out like this:

I do really love how versatile it is and even during the day it can be worn, here it is on my eye lid on its own:

So shimmery and peachy!

Have you tried this eyeshadow before? What other colours would you recommend for my palette? Any ideas for my pigments?

L xxx

Review: Label.m Protein Spray and Hair Care

When I saw the latest press release from label.m advertising their new travel kits which included a protein spray I was immediately intrigued. As I was planning to have half a head of highlights applied I'd been looking out for products to help repair the damage this would inevitably cause and the protein spray sounded great. We were lucky and label.m kindly sent us a travel kit and protein spray each to test out.

I'm a big hair care fan, weekly treatments, hair oils, serums and heat protection sprays all fall into my regular hair care routine. I'm always keen to try new hair products as my hair takes a lot of styling and colour damage and always needs repairing. I was so excited to try the protein spray. The protein spray is a very light mist that can be applied through damp or dry hair. I always prefer products that can be used in both dry and damp hair as I only wash my hair every 3 days but sometimes style it everyday so always want a product that won't weigh my hair down and can be used on dry hair. This certainly does that. I also love that it doesn't make your hair so damp from spraying you then feel steam if you heat style it.

With the burst of sunshine we are currently having (maybe not the last two days but fingers crossed it returns) I also like that it protects against the sun as my hair is one thing I always forget to protect against the sun. It was nice to spritz this through my hair before heading to the beach at the weekend. 

The ingredients include wheat proteins, wheat amino acids, fruit extracts and olive oil for moisture. I love that this protects my hair without weighing down. It also brings back shine as  my hair has been left a little dull from the dye. I've been using it most days and this will definitely be a product I'll be using more. I use it one freshly washed hair before blow drying then again if I'm going to straighten it. 

It retails for £12.95 from here for 250ml. It's a huge bottle that'll last ages. This has currently replaced me argan oil.

The gentle cleansing shampoo is one that is suitable for daily use. As I'm someone who doesn't wash their hair daily I can't comment on this. It does leave my hair feeling really clean though and I didn't notice any fall out which I've found to be a problem with shampoos lately. It tends to be cheaper ones unfortunately. I do find it works best to lather it in your hands first and then apply to hair. The shampoo retails for £9.95 for 300ml which for a salon brand is a reasonable price. I'll be trying more shampoos but this one isn't for me as I prefer shampoos aimed for more moisture of colour protection. They also do organic shampoos and conditioners which I think is great and would love to try soon.

The daily shine conditioner impressed me straight away. No silicones to make my hair feel softer but not actually make it softer and it contained promising ingredients like soy proteins and soy milk. This conditioner instantly made my hair feel softer and more manageable without weighing it down. I think this would be a great conditioner for anyone who washes there hair regularly as even though it's quite a liquidy conditioner it really does work as providing moisture to the hair. The daily shine conditioner is £12.50 for 300ml which again I think is reasonable for a salon brand. Conditioners do tend to be more expensive as you use less of them.

Now the shine spray I've not had a chance to try fully as it's something I only use for nights out. It does provide a UV shield to the hair so maybe it's something I should use more. Having naturally curly hair a salt spray is something I love trying. I do sometimes find them drying or they make my hair crunchy so I only use them the day before I'm due to wash it. This one is one of the softer salt sprays I've tried for my hair and definitely doesn't leave it crunchy. It does provide amazing volume and texture to the hair though. I've been so impressed with this. I love spraying it through my hair when I've curled it with my wand as it gives it more of a messy look. Below you can see it used on more straight hair. 

The

You can see the texture and volume it has added is impressive. Please excuse my nearly naked face!! It gives hair a boost. I think this will be great added to straight longer hair to give it a natural messy look and on hair my length it looks great curly. It has also helped for putting my hair in bun rings as it adds extra texture to help it stay neat.

The mini versions are only £3.50 and a great way to try a product or to take away on holiday. The 50ml salt and shine sprays will definitely last a while and I think the 50ml shampoo and conditioner will do me at least 5 washes.

If you are lucky enough to have a salon near you that stocks label.m you can get any 4 travel sized products for £12 in a clear bag. (more details here).

So far I've been so impressed with label.m especially the protein and salt sprays. Now my Sebastian Pentrate shampoo and conditioner have run out I'll definitely be trying label.m products instead.

Thanks to label.m for giving us this chance to review these.

Have you tried a label.m products? Are you a salt spray fan?

Love M

xxx

I was so excited to hear that we would be reviewing a protein spray for hair when M told me. I've recently had a whole load of highlights put through my very dark hair. I've been having them for a while but 2 weeks ago decided to increase them from just the two layers to all the way through with the aim of eventually having a 'true ombré' where the top part of my head will then be dyed darker again.

This obviously involved a hell of a lot of chemical treatment to my hair so I was very worried the condition would worsen.... Until the protein spray arrived!

It has so many benefits I can't even begin to list them again but i can tell you that I absolutely love it. The spray is such a fine mist that I don't feel like its coating my hair like some other tacky products can do leaving your hair with a residue, this one seems to absorb into your hair and it feels so cooling and soothing. It has been great to spray after the gym, before going to work, and prepping for a night out as its so lightweight its perfect. And so far (fingers crossed) it doesn't seem to be going down as fast as I thought it might! 

As well as being great to apply it has also had a positive effect on my hair as the condition of it has improved noticeably. It does get a bit matted sometimes due to the length and lightening of it and this has decreased since using it as well as an added shine to my hair. I am hoping long term use will see these qualities improve further and my hair will look as good as Kate Middletons! 

The mini kit containing shampoo, conditioner, sea salt spray and hair spray has also been a right treat to use. The shampoo smells great and frothed nicely and the conditioner was really thick and felt so hydrating. The hairspray was so light I felt like I hadnt used enough but my hair stayed in place which was brilliant. 

Unfortunately due to my hideous allergic reaction to a spa day I am yet to use the sea salt spray which is frustrating as I love beachy waves! However if its as good as the other products from label.m I am sure it will be just as good.

Having not used a product from label.m before I am very pleased to have had the chance to try their products and think they are really great.

Have you used label.m before? What do you think of protein sprays? Will you be investing? 

L xxx

To see the wide range of products label.m offer check out their website. www.labelm.com orders over £19 get free delivery.

Life Lately

It's been just over two weeks since I last posted properly on here. My last post was this. Titled a weekend of change! It was definitely a big weekend of change, that weekend I was doing stuff to make me feel better as that weekend me and my now ex broke up. We'd been together for over 3 years and lived together for 2 of those so it was a big decision and has led to big changes. After a chat with L I decided apart from Sunday posts I was going to have some time off to get used to everything. Thanks to all the lovely ladies who sent me messages and texts on twitter! It was so nice to have everyone.

So today marks 3 weeks. All in all it's a bit awkward but I don't want to go into too many details. Basically we still live together (luckily it's a big flat) as we have a contract till December. I'm very much struggling with ups and downs but mostly I'm feeling better knowing it was the right thing and things can only get better. I'm enjoying distracting myself with spending lots of time with friends and family. I'm the girl that can never be single. I've told myself I have to change that this time and stay single for at least 6 months as I've not been single for longer than a month in over 9 years. I need some me time.

During my time away from the blog it was my birthday. I celebrated with L in the day with afternoon tea, spa and cocktails, in the evening my family came to visit and we had the most amazing meal at Jamie's Italian Cardiff. I was totally spoilt in the restaurant and then by my family. On the Friday I went back to my parents, had drinks with friends then a whole weekend with the family. It was just what I needed.

I was very lucky and got some amazing gifts. L got my Effaclar Duo and the Stila Primer we both love, my parents got me a couple of pairs of skinny jeans from Gap, my beautiful graduation shoes back (story explained here) and Sanctury goodies. My now ex went through a previous wishlist of mine and got me amazing presents including a Lydia Rose Bright dress, macadamia hair mask, bioderma and more. Other presents were a slushies mug (I love slush puppies), debenhams vouchers, a suitcase and coffee! I was so lucky and had a really great birthday.

Whilst at home I also visited Clark's Village. I love going there to pick up some bargains. I couldn't resist a few purchases. I always go to gap as they have great dresses for work. I didn't find one this time but did get two cardigans reduced from £24.99 to £9.99. I don't know about you but I'm useless at buying myself staples I need like cardigans and leggings. I love outlet stores and there bargains. My favourite pick of the day were these gorgeous blue Henry Lloyd skinny jeans. I've been after some this colour for ages. They were a bargain £25!!! I couldn't believe it. I snapped those up quickly. They fit amazing and they are pretty long.

One of my best friends gets married on the 10th August. I can't wait. I'm a bridesmaid so we had our first fitting for our dresses which was so exciting. I don't want to put a picture of them on here just yet.

I've really enjoyed having extra free time to meet up with old friends. It's been great having more time to go for meals. L and I also had a really girly weekend which was just what I needed. We got totally glammed up on the Friday. I wore a bright yellow dress from Warehouse and L wore a lush red dress from Debenhams. We definitely enjoyed one too many cocktails.

On the Saturday we headed to her parents caravan for some time on the beach, relaxing with good books, Magners and food. It was definitely nice to escape from the outside world and have some time in the sun. We both got rather sunburnt ooops. Luckily I had factor 50 on my face so that was ok.

Bit of a random post but felt like doing a little life update! It's onwards and upwards now and hopefully onto better things!!

Love M

xxx