Review: Area H2O

Hey lovelies

Thought I'd do a double post for you today as I've just got back from staying at my parents so I've had a chance to try out a product I was sent again.

Whenever I visit or stay at my parents house I find my shampoo and conditioner leave my hair feeling dry and not as clean. It always gets dirtier quicker too. When I saw some tweets about Area H2O I was instantly intrigued. Area H2O have looked into the minerals that are more abundant in the different types of water and how they effect the way shampoos and conditioners work with these minerals present. 

Area H2O have developed a range of shampoos suitable to the type of water you have. These shampoos have been formulated to remove the mineral deposits which are left in the hair from reactions between the shampoo and water.

The shampoos I use where I live is medium/soft and I've not had any problems with the shampoos and conditioner I use and my hair stays clean for 3-4 sometimes even 5 days. Where my parents live is a hard water area and I was noticing my hair was dirty the next day after washing it.

When I was contacted to ask if I wanted to try Area H2O I straight away said yes and selected the hard water and coloured hair type to try for when I was at my parents. At the beginning of the month I went home for a week so I could test it out properly. I had a really busy week at home and washed it 3 times. I was also home last weekend so used it again while I was there.

I was warned hair can feel dry after shampooing the first few times. Personally I didn't notice this. Having highlighted hair my hair always feels dry after shampooing then feels great again after conditioner.

I really liked the light texture of the shampoo and found it really lathered up to make my hair feel like it was getting a good clean. I also didn't notice loads of hair coming out which I keep noticing when I use cheap shampoo lately. All of the products are colour coded depending on the water type. This makes it easy if like me you spend time between two different types of water and can easily differentiate between the two.

The conditioner was even better than the shampoo in my opinion. It's a great thick conditioner which I love as I feel like my hair is getting the treatment and nourishment it needs. It didn't leave my hair greasy and washed out easily. I also like that the conditioner comes in a squeezy bottle so it's easy to get the product out. I find some tubes hard to get thicker conditioners out.

I love the concept of Area H2O and that it has been developed with the water type in mind. I've really enjoyed using the hard water variety and will continue to use it at my parents house. My hair stayed cleaner longer using it and that's what I really liked.

I really want to try the one for medium water next and will be ordering some when I run out of my current shampoo. It retails for £17.50 for the two which is less than I usually pay for shampoo. I usually pay £23. It comes in soft, medium and hard water types and for normal and coloured hair.

Do you notice a difference between different water types? Is Area H20 something you'd consider?

Love M

xxx

Review: MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Mooncake

Hey all

Work is so much busier for me at the moment and adjusting to now living on my own is definitely making me more tired and more lazy with my make up. I was lucky and got this Paint Pot from my brother and his girlfriend for my birthday.

After reading so many good reviews about paint pots I actually picked one up for my brother's girlfriend for her birthday. Knowing she loves simple easy make up (my two niece's make it a battle for her to find time) I thought she'd love it and I know she loves MAC. She loved hers so much she decided to get me one for my birthday as a surprise.

As with most MAC products the paint pot comes boxed and in the usual simple and classic black and white packaging. The paint pots come in a glass pot with a screw on lid. So far mine is almost two months old and I've not experienced any drying or changing in texture.

I was given the shade mooncake which is a neutral warm champagne glitter shade. MAC Paint pots can be worn as an eyeshadow base or an eyeshadow on it's own. Some shades can also be worn as highlights.

I do find as this is a glitter shade it's not as soft as the non glitter shades. The glitter is quite chunky through this and I do wish it was more of a shimmer. That being said it does look pretty built up and patted onto the lid with just mascara for an easy simple look.

Here you can see the colour blended out and built up. I tend to blend it out if I'm using it as an eye shadow base. I'm very impressed with how these last. I have oily skin and this lasts all day on my eyelid without creasing. I'm talking it lasts from 8am till I take my make up off which is very impressive. Even though it's glittery I have added matte eye shadows over the top and the glitter is then disguised really well.

I really want more of these now and have some Debenhams beauty points to spend. Mooncake doesn't seem to be available online now and I think it was part of the baking beauties collection. I'm now trying to decide between Bare Study, Painterly and Constructivist.

Have you got any paint pots? What colour would you get next?

Love M

xxx

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque

We've done a brief review on this previously as it's a product L and I have both had samples of this. I absolutely love the Macadamia products I've tried and had wanted the full size of this and the healing oil for a while.

My hair always seems to be in the best condition when I'm using the Macadamia range. The mask is a really thick mask that is for dry and damaged hair which mine is due to years of hair dying and heat styling.

It is suitable for all hair types including afro hair and can help improve the hairs condition. It says to leave on for 7 minutes but I've left it longer and had no negative effects. I find after using this I just wake up with softer hair. I also love that even though it's moisturising it doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy.

It does contain silicone which I wish it didn't but I don't mind products with silicone in as much now I'm not wearing extensions. My hair doesn't feel coated and I've not noticed a build up from it. I love that the pot has a stopped inside the lid to stop it going everywhere when I open it.

This is an expensive hair masque but after using it regularly for almost 2 months my hair feels so much nicer. It's softer and more manageable and definitely in better condition than if I hadn't been using it. I really think it's worth the money and will be repurchasing the oil soon as no cheap alternative seems to have the same effect.

You can often find Macadamia products in TK Maxx. I always keep my eyes out for it.

Have you tried the Macadamia range? What are your thoughts?

Love M

xxx

NOTD: Essie Chinchilly and China Glaze Luxe and Lush

Today I'm absolutely shattered. I spent the weekend at my parents, it's always great to go back home. I definitely had too many drinks with my dad and brother on Saturday and was in a bad way yesterday. I think the tiredness is catching up today. 

Anways on to today's NOTD. When I was at L's last weekend I had to do my nails. I wanted a neutral base and when I saw Essie Chinchilly I instantly loved the colour. So much so I now want to go out and get it. It's such a lovely natural shade that just goes with everything.

It's quite a soft grey that seems to suit my skintone. I've only got a few essie polishes but this applied smoothly and was opaque in two coats which I always love with polishes. I love nudes but hate the ones that take loads of coats as I'm impatient.

I love a statement nail and as I'd recently bought China Glaze Luxe and Lush I decided to paint this on my ring finger. I absolutely love this shade. Luxe and Lush was from the Hunger Games collection and since L got the minis I've lusted after it and tried many polishes rather than order it. None compared (for reference I tried Avon Opal top coat, Models Own Snowglobe and Sally Hanson Glass Slipper the only one I like is Glass Slipper but it's a different effect)

I found other polishes didn't pack as much of the gorgeous flakes in the base. I love that after one coat you get loads of flakes on the nail and it's even. Luxe and Lush reflects loads of different colours and looks great over any colour polish I've tried it with.

I really want to try more flaked polishes now? Any recommendations?

Love M

xxx