FAVOURITES: Hair Care

So a few of weeks ago I shared with you my disaster with bleach!

This week, I would like to share with you my favourite hair products.

 

As I severely damaged my hair not long ago - damn you bleach - I have had to do some serious testing with hair care in order to restore my original soft textured hair.

So far, I have been successful and I have (mainly) Aussie hair products to thank!

Aussie Colour Mate Shampoo and 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

These two have been my saviour, especially the conditioner!

At first, I actually used Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle 'Reconstructor' condition which literally worked miracles... After leaving it in for 3 minutes during each shower (once a day), I would wash it out and within the first week of using it, my hair was in the process of regaining some of the original texture and moisture. Now, I use this colour one as I have, for the most part, restored soft hair. Though it's not back to normal, and I know that it never will be until the bleached hair grows out, it's as close as can be. Hopefully, continuing to use these products will help my to maintain this healthier texture and moisture.

 

Aussie Miracle Recharge Frizz Remedy

I have found that applying this spray evenly throughout my hair, once washing, conditioning and brushing it, and then leaving it to dry naturally works a treat.

The natural frizz is dramatically decreased and I am able to style it the way I want, without worrying about frizz control.

 

Aussie Coloured Hair Protection and Shine Serum

As I have previously mentioned this product in its own post here, I will not go on.

However, I do believe that this product has helped me to protect my hair from further damage.

 

TRESemme Colour Revitalise Heat Protect Mist

Despite this product not being part of the Aussie range, I have taken a strong liking to this particular heat protection. Having used various others before, I believe that this one honestly works the best! I can't complain about heat damage because I rarely have any problems!

Lily Collins wearing Elie Saab

I'd like to use my picture of the week to admire this gorgeous dress.

 

Lily Collins wearing Elie Saab at the 'Love, Rosie' Rome Premier

I'm not exactly sure why this dress in particular, over the thousands of others, caught the attention of the internet recently...
But, what I can take from the picture is that this dress is absolutely stunning.
And, it suits Lily Collins perfectly.

A disaster with bleach!

A couple of weeks ago, I made a spur of the moment decision... Although I really wish that I'd disregarded that thought and carried on as normal, I didn't. And now, here I am, with damaged hair in a colour that I really didn't want.

 

I had a thought, I always wanted to experiment with my hair colour and choose a wacky colour one day. Upon seeing a friend dying her hair all sorts of colours, from blonde to brown (natural colours), to pink and blue, I decided this was my opportunity to do something new.

I wanted a change.

 

Originally, I loved my hair.
Although it was dyed, that had faded to a beautiful chestnut colour.

 

Stupidly, I decided a dramatic change meant bleach.

 

Oh how I was so wrong...

 

Deciding to bleach my gorgeous, soft, healthy, brown hair was the biggest mistake I've made in a very long time.

 

For one, I hadn't bought enough. So I began bleaching, only to run out after dying only the top of my head (my roots) and no where else. Unfortunately, I realised too late. As I did this at night time, I had to trek to Boots the next day wearing a hat (in burning hot weather) to cover the mess.

Once home, I began again. This time managing to cover my whole head.

I followed all of the instructions; washed the bleach out, rubbed conditioner through my hair thoroughly and washed that out. Next, came attempting to brush my hair before blow drying it. Brushing my hair was awful, it was far too knotty. Finally, after spending 10 minutes alone just brushing my hair, I dried it. With the outcome a fizzy and completely damaged mess, to say I was upset was an understatement!

The internet was my next priority. I needed to find a way to put some moisture back into my hair. Upon searching, I stumbled across an Aussie product with raving reviews.
Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner has been my life saver.
I think I would of cried every night if I couldn't of restored my damaged hair.

I managed to persuade my mum to buy me another darker blonde hair dye, to which she did and finally got my hair to an alright colour.

I have been using Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle products for five weeks now and the difference is amazing. Despite not having my hair exactly back to normal yet, it's definitely on it's way!

My only advice to anyone wanting to bleach their hair, using purely bleaching products, is to let a professional do it!

Regardless of my recent disaster, I have big plans!
I'm planning to dye my hair a lighter blonde (using a proper dye kit this time) and then put a baby pink on. I'm going for semi-permanent pink at first, this way it won't be too bad if it goes wrong!

But, I'm praying this goes okay, because my birthday's coming up and I want it to look pretty!

Have you guys had an dying or bleaching disasters in the past?
And, if you've ever damaged your hair through colouring or heat products, I'd love to find out what products you use to replenish its natural moisture and texture

Top Ten Tag!

Copy and Paste everything in Bold

This Tag was made by Jessica Vannan at Pretty Chit Chat 

I was tagged by Taylor at Another Fashion Fanatic - She's awesome and her blog is even better!

I would like to nominate Samantha at Small & Blonde and, of course, anyone that would like to do this!

 

 1. Foundation

I definitely have to go with either Lancome's Teint Visionnaire or L'Oreal's Nude Magique Eau de Teint

2. Powder

Personally, I've never used powder before.
But I know that my best friend's favourite is Rimmel London's Clear Complexion Transparent Powder

3. Concealer

It has to be Rimmel London's Wake Me Up concealer
 

4. Blush

On a day to day basis, I rarely use blusher as I only really wear it over foundation and I only wear foundation when my skin is particularly bad or on occasional weekends. So, I've never really gone out of my way to find the 'perfect' blusher.
I actually use one from Natural Collection in Rosey Glow. It's relatively cheap and I find that it works like a treat. For me, it's the best colour!

 

5. Bronzer

I haven't used many bronzer's in the past, but from what I have; Jelly Pong Pong's Caribbean Sun (bronzer duo - with blush) is my fave

6. Highlighter

Being totally honest, I have never used highlighter!
So, I can't really recommend any or tell you my favourite

7. Mascara

I like to mix and match my mascara's, so picking one is almost impossible for me. I use mainly Rimmel London mascaras; such as glam'eyes day2night and the scandal eyes collection. However, I've found that Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast mascara is excellent

8. Eye Shadow

It's got to be Urban Decay's NAKED 2 palette, hands down!

9. Brows

 

Like I have never used powder or highlighter, I have also never used anything on my brows either. The only thing I have done to them is pluck them!

I know - I'm a pathetic excuse for a girl, haha

I love make-up, but I only use what I need

10. Lip Product

Definitely MAC.
Any MAC lipstick and you're sorted

So, despite having not used all of the products, there is my top ten list.
I apologise for the lack of pictures... I haven't had much spare time recently :\
I hope you enjoyed this list and if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them, just pop them in the comment section below!

FAVOURITES: Aussie

A couple of weeks ago, before my holiday this summer, I had my hair dyed and so in preparation for my holiday I decided to pop out and purchase some hair products for coloured hair.

 

Alongside some Aussie Shampoo and Conditioner, I also picked this up.

 

 

This is Aussie's Coloured Hair Protection and Shine Serum.

 

 

The directions for use says that it can be applied to wet or dry hair.

So, after it'd been washed, I put a small amount in the palm of my hands and spread it evenly throughout my hair everyday.

I tried to keep away from my roots as my hair tends to get greasy easily as it's quite oily at the base.

But, I found that this stuff works wonders.

 

In previous years, after dying my hair I've only ever really used colour protection shampoo and conditioner, but not really cared for it after that. This usually lead to damaged hair.

 

However, this year I've been able to maintain a nice texture to my hair whilst using this serum. Also, I've noticed how much healthier it is compared to before!

 

I definitely recommend this product to anyone with coloured hair that uses heated appliances (such as your hair dryer, straighteners or curlers) often and/or anyone who is exposed to the blazing sun on a daily basis.

Living in Britain, the sun isn't really a major concern of mine but using heated appliances is.

 

I know that I'll continue to use this product as it gives the best possible results



My birthday suit!

As my eighteenth birthday approaches, I can't help but search for the perfect outfit to wear for my party.

 

And, I think I've found a winner...

 

I absolutely love this dress.

I found it on Asos before I went on holiday but I didn't have enough money to buy it for my holidays and so I'm thinking it'd be great for my birthday party!
The only slight problem is, my birthday's in November so there is a potential that I could freeze, but if I froze wearing that I wouldn't mind!!
Despite it being in November, I would be inside all night so that wouldn't be as much of a problem.

However, I'm too not sure yet.

What do you guys think?

My future wedding dress!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a slight obsession with weddings!

 

Two years ago I stumbled across the Disney Wedding dress collection and, as I curious female, I decided to take a peek at them.

 

Upon browsing through the selections, one particular dress caught my eye and I couldn't help but fall in love... With a dress - yes, I'm that kind of girl!

 

 

This is Cinderella from the 2011 collection.

 

Honestly, from the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted that one.

It's perfect.

The lack of precise detail speaks volumes.

I particularly love the wrap effect. 

 

Unfortunately, being a teenager means that I have a long time to wait before my special day. But, I cannot wait.
I hope that this dress is still available when the time comes because it's so me!

FAVOURITES: MAC Lipstick

As a female teenager, make-up plays a large role in my life!

 

I love finding new products that are brilliant.

 

As you may already know, MAC is a well known brand - for both it's excellence and it's prices!

 

However expensive, it's definitely worth every penny!

(From my experiences it is anyway)

 

Today I wanted to share with you my favourite lipstick from MAC...

 

 

 

 

 

I've got to admit, I have used many brands of lipsticks in the past; Rimmel London, L'Oreal, Topshop, Clinque etc, but I have found that this MAC lipstick is my all time favourite.

 

It works like a charm.

It's a beautiful colour, it's a reasonable price, it's coverage is perfect and, most importantly, it's long lasting; in which I mean it stays on, as you've applied it, for a long period of time! More than others I've used anyway!

 

This particular colour is called 'All Fired Up' and it's from the Retro Matte collection.

 

 

 

I don't usually go for pink shades when buying lipsticks, however I was drawn to this one for some strange reason.

Although I was a little dubious at first, when I first wore this lipstick I instantly fell in love.

It's not too bright as it isn't very shiny, mainly due to the fact it's in a matte pigment.

I found that this matte pigment was much more my style.

 

I definitely recommend you purchase a MAC lipstick.

They're amazing and so easy to wear.

I will 100% continue to buy lipsticks from them as they're excellent quality.

 

Also, if you ever have a few extra pounds to spare, why not try a matte lipstick?

 

I, honestly, love them!

It's a great change to the usual lipsticks and glosses :)

 

(I'm not sure whether you can buy the MAC matte lipsticks in England as I got mine in America, but I am yet to visit many MAC stores across the UK so I don't actually know!)

FAVOURITES: Fragrances

 At the moment, I have two perfumes and two body sprays that I can't stop using!

I own many fragrances, however these four just keep drawing me to them so the others get abandoned.

With the perfumes, I have one that's a day to day kind of scent.
And the other is my absolute favourite so I always save that for nicer occasions.

 

Before I start trying to describe these scents, I just want to apologise because I don't know whether it's me personally but I find describing scents and smells really difficult, however I wanted to share these!

 

My day to day favourite perfume is:

 

RRP: £22.00 from Hollister

As you can see, it is produced by Hollister and is called 'Crescent Bay'.

This is sent is really fruity and it's pleasantly nice.

The description online for this fragrance is 'Watermelon - Poppy - Sugary Woods' which is something I completely agree with.

I don't feel like this is quite a typical Hollister perfume, I'd imagine it to be more of a body spray. But, none the less, it's still lovely.

It's also quite strong so even using small amounts works wonders.

I have often been complimented when wearing this.
If you've ever had this before, you'll understand what I'm saying!

 

Next is my all time favourite perfume:

 

From The Perfume Shop;
30ml - RRP: £42.50
50ml - RRP: £57.50
80ml - RRP: £76.50

 This is Candy by Prada.

Now, I find this really hard to describe, so I strongly recommend you to test this perfume if you're ever in a perfume shop or the perfume section within a shop.

I think this scent is more flowery than the other.

It's very unique, I'd say.

Strong, like the other as well, so I only need to use it in small quantities at a time which works perfectly for me as it means I don't use it as quick as I might with others so it lasts longer.

I don't really know the standard prices for perfume, but I do recommend stretching a little to purchase this perfume if you can!

It's gorgeous and many people have complimented me whilst wearing it.

 

Now, onto my favourite body sprays.

 

Out of my two sprays, I have one distinct favourite:

 

RRP: £7.50 from The Body Shop

The Body Shop's Strawberry body mist.

This body mist is amazing. I love it.

And to top it off, the strawberry scent just adds to its brilliance.

I love the strawberry smell so this is perfect for me.

The Body Shop do a huge variety of scents in their body mist range, so even if you don't like the smell of strawberries, check out their range. You might find one you absolutely adore.

 

And finally, this is my second favourite body spray:

 



RRP: £6.50 from Boots



This is the Soap & Glory - Mist You Madly body spray.

It is described as a flirty, floral and fragrant body spray, featuring scents of bergamot and blackcurrant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla and musk.

I couldn't agree more, honestly I didn't really know how to describe it but I think it's quite typical for Soap & Glory.

I love this to quick squirt on if I'm in a rush.

 

I think all of those fragrances are lovely and I definitely recommend each of them.

They're worth every penny!

Wish List: Clothes - June 2014

It's almost the summer holidays!!
Like many, I'm counting down the days until my exciting holiday abroad.
As well as counting down the days, I'm on the look out for some new summer clothes!

Here are a few items that I have loved, but not bought (yet), when on the hunt!



Outlaw denim jacket from the AWG range at
Glamour Kills in America.
RRP: $89.99 which converts to £53.74 (without P&P)

I have actually wanted this jacket for a year or so now.

Alex Gaskarth, lead singer of a band called All Time Low, partnered up with Glamour Kills to design a small range.
This jacket being one of its pieces.

I love how the main part of this jacket is denim but the hood and sleeves are a cotton material.
This really stood out to me when I saw it as I began to love it.

Glamour Kills stock jackets very similar, however without the writing and image on the back, but I loved this design. It really appealed to me and I prefer this one over the plain ones and other designs - and that's not just because it's part of Alex's range either!

 

This jacket is the exception of this post as the rest of my items are summer clothes!

 

Kardashian Kollection shorts for Sears (American department store)
RRP: $44.00 which converts to £26.28

After using my freedom, from school, to watch a tonne of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' last year, I began to follow the range 'Kardashian Kollection'.

This picture popped up recently and I found that I actually really like these shorts.

They're very summery and spot on for this year.
I love the mint coloured ones, the white ones and the washed out denim shorts particularly.

I know that the Kardashian sisters have their range in Lispy (UK), however they don't stock the same items that they do in America so I don't think they have these - which is upsetting.

But, I am visiting the USA very soon so hopefully I can grab myself a pair.



These are the Digi Roses Old Skool.
RRP: $65.00 which converts to £38.82



Whilst in America, I'm hoping to visit a Vans store too so I can purchase these beauties.

I stumbled across them when I was browsing the Vans website for clothes and a new pair of Old Skool vans - for some reason I ended up looking on the American website and I found these!

I currently have a pair in the same style, however they're leopard print.
I think this style of shoe is so comfy and I'm definitely going to get another pair.
(I also recommend this 'Old Skool' style to anyone!! They're great!)

When I saw this particular pattern, with the light pink strip and the roses, I fell in love.

They're beautiful and perfect for what I want!

 

Asos Cami in Cage Print
RRP: £18.00

Asos Maxi Skirt in Bias Cut
RRP: £18.00

I'm normally a dress kind of girl, but I'm trying to mix it up this summer.

I think that this cami top with the grey maxi skirt would be a perfect combination.

It's casual and relaxed yet stylish and cool.

Plus, you could wear just about any shoes with it as there's no distinct colour or pattern theme going on.

It's a light option, which could also be dressed up.

I hope that I can get something along these lines for this summer as it would be perfect!

 



Scuttle Mint Green Heeled Sandals from New Look
RRP: £29.99



These heels are gorgeous.

They'd be perfect for a warm summery evening.

The huge platform at the sole means that they're more comfortable to wear as your foot isn't at too much of an angle. Also, the design allows your toes to peep through the front, to show off your nicely painted toe nails of course, but it doesn't show too much foot with the wrap effect.

These chunky heels are in right now and they're pretty (in my opinion anyway!)

 

Also, I'm loving the mint green/pale (baby) blue colours this summer.

 

ASOS Long Line Cami in Animal Print

RRP: £20.00

 This cami is in a favourite pattern of mine. I love animal print.

For some reason I never used to like it, but since I bought my leopard print Vans, I've loved it!

Also, the cami style is becoming a new trend this year.

The thin straps make it easy to wear, light and comfortable while looking just as fab as a normal vest.

With this particular pattern, you could dress it up or dress it down depending on your plans.
Wear it with a cute leather skirt and heels or denim shorts and some flip flops.
Either way, you'll look gorgeous!

 

ASOS Mini Skirt in Leather
RRP: £55.00

I think leather skirts suit certain people. They're very specific.

I've never tried one on personally, so I don't know whether they suit me or not, but I do love them. Especially this one.

I stumbled across this while browsing ASOS for summer clothes. I think that this style is quirky and would match with just about any top.

Personally, I'd go for a patterned cami or a cute floaty top.

Also, you're left room to wear any kind of shoes - regarding they match your choice in top.



New Dorsay Heeled Court Shoes from River Island
RRP: £50.00



These heels are completely the opposite of the other ones, however they're just as lovely.

I think you'd wear these with a more sophisticated and 'going out' look.

They'd be perfect for a fancy meal with family or a fun night out.

The pointed toe just gives the heels that edge.

It's a certain style, which has made its way back into fashion.

And I love it!

 

 

 

 

So, these are some items of clothing (and shoes) on my wish list this summer.

What's on yours?

Recommendations: Make-Up - June 2014

The title is pretty explanatory...

And so, here are my recommendations for the month!

Foundation: L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint  

RRP: £9.99 for 20ml (Boots)

 Concealer: Rimmel London - Wake Me Up (in liquid)

RRP: £5.49 for 7ml (Boots)

Blusher: Natural Collection - Rosy Glow

RRP: £1.99 (Boots)
I apologise for the quality of my blusher, it's old
and has been battered around too much!

Bronzer: Rimmel London - Natural Bronzer

RRP: £5.99 (Boots)

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay - NAKED 2

RRP: £37.00 (Debenhams)

 Mascara: Soap & Glory - Thick and Fast

 

RRP: £10.00 (Boots)



Eyeliner: Soap & Glory - 'Supercat' (in liquid)

RRP: £6.00 (Boots)

Lipstick: MAC - Matte collection

(Not necessarily in a pink colour)
RRP: £15.00 (Debenhams)



 I've found, from personal experience, that each of these products work wonders.


The foundation is so soft on your skin and works well alongside the concealer to cover up any blemishes you feel self-conscious about.
The blusher and bronzer go well together and provide excellent contouring.
The eyeshadow is an all time favourite of mine (see my previous 'favourites' post here on the Naked 2 palette).
The eyeliner is super easy to apply and stays on throughout the whole day, much like the mascara which also doesn't clump and it works well as a base coat if you prefer to use multiple mascaras.
And finally, I find the matte lipsticks from MAC are amazing.
Great colours, great coverage and, most importantly, they're long lasting. I find I don't have to keep reapplying my lippy as much as I do when I'm wearing normal lipstick.

Honestly, it's really hard to find good make-up that works.
But bare in mind that different products work differently on different people.

I hope, if you take any of these recommendations, that you love them just as much as I do.

If you have any recommendations of your own, feel free to leave comments!
I'd love to know what you guys think and chat to you about them :)