Haircare Routine

I love my make up, I do! ...but when it comes to haircare I am a little less enthusiastic. I hardly ever get it cut (slap's wrist) and I find washing my thick bonce such a chore! That in mind, I can safely say my haircare routine is slightly limited and most certainly 'low-end' - however, it works for me and my lazy attitude.

This whole routine totals up to around £20, and can be completed in approx 15 minutes! A lazy girls dream.

My routine consists of 5 stages:

1. Get into the shower as quickly as possible to avoid frost bite and lather up my scalp with The Body Shop's Ginger anti-dandruff Shampoo (sorry tmi). I find really fruity sweet shampoos just play havoc with my scalp so a plain 'does the job' shampoo like this is ideal.

2. Apply a dollop of Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Mask to the ends of my hair, well I never you may say, and continue with the rest of my shower business while the mask works its magic. Rinse and we're done.

3. Once I have gathered a bit of warmth and courage to continue, I spray the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-in Spray all over my hair, no methodology here just spray and enjoy the beautiful scent! I tend to not condition my hair so this is my simple alternative that keeps my locks smooth and healthy.

4. Now before drying, what must we all do? PROTECT! - I use my trusty Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray which has lasted my way over a year now... again spraying this willy-nilly all over my hair and combing through with a large toothed comb.

5. At this point my routine can go one of two ways; a) scruffy hair, don't care ie. up in a bun and worry about more important things or b) a good straighten and style. If option a wins the day, then these bands are great as they don't damage or kink your hair and come in all fancy designs.

If unfortunately I have to look presentable and option b needs to commence, I like to smooth down my ends with the Sexy Hair Healthy Soy Renewal Nourishing Treatment. I got my mini version in a event goodie bag and I love it, it certainly leaves your hair feeling silky smooth and doesn't leave any residue once you have smoothed it into your hair.

Is anyone else as lazy as I am when it comes to hair?

Is there any dreamy products I am missing in my life which will ultimately change this view forever?

Winter Pastels

Who says you can't enjoy a good pastel mani in the colder months. I must admit I have raved about a seasonal deep red or classic nude for Autumn but it's also nice to have some alternatives up your sleeve (or on the end of one har-har)!

Today I present to you six shades I feel are the don whatever the weather...

Essie 'Fondola Gondola' - A dusky pink

Models Own 'Utopia' - A very pale lilac nude

Topshop 'Rainy Day' - A blue/grey

Barry M 'Blue Moon' - A simple baby blue

Barry M 'Lychee' - The perfect creamy nude

Rimmel 'Sage Green' - A pale khaki 

Anyone else dare to flaunt pastels this time of year?

ps. sorry for the awful lighting, its dark a lot these days...

Drugstore Lovin' - November

This post involves the products I have been reaching for throughout November, and of course they are all high street/drugstore brands that are cheap and easily available for everyone!

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint - 'heavy duty under eye concealer'

I bought this on a whim in a 3for2 splurge in boots, and I am so glad I did. This is a great release from seventeen, and a first of its kind! This drugstore 'concealer in a pot' is thick and creamy, and with the warmth of my fingers when blending, it works absolute wonders on dark circles. I apply this under my foundation under my eyes and wherever my skin is slightly red. (£5.49)

Laidbare Pack Your Bags - 'lighten and tighten eye cream'

This is a slight cheat as I bought this from T K Maxx, but it was under a fiver so I thought I would include it. I have never been one for eye creams so again it was a spontaneous purchase. I apply this before I go to sleep and also when I wake up. Wow it helps - I mean my mega bags will never cease (I can thank my dad for that!) but I feel this cream definitely tightens the area under my eyes. (£4.99)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour in 'permanent taupe' - 'gel cream eye shadow' 

This is a rediscovery from my make up collection, I bought this shade when there was a hype around the colour tattoos. Unfortunately I did not fall in love with it and so got tossed to the back of my drawer... until now! Having spied it on another blog post I thought it would give it a second chance, and since then it's been my go to everyday shadow. The taupe really emphasizes brown eyes and the formula is so easy to work with (even at 7am on a Monday ZZzz), so I am now giving this product a thumbs up and an apology for neglect. (£4.99)

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends - 'split end protection intensive mask'

Now, I am not one to condition my hair, don't ask why - I don't have a specific reason. So therefore I make the conscious effort to treat my hair at least once a week. I picked this mask up from Morrisons for a nifty £2! It does what it says on the tin and I am happy with that. No gimmicks, just a intensive treatment to keep those horrid split ends at bay. (RRP £3.99)

Stay tuned for a drugstore Lovin' next month!

Easy Peasy DIY Jar Candles

Lifestyle post for you today - THE easiest yet very effective chutney jar to candle conversion DIY you'll ever see...

You will need:

• A pair of scissors (please be careful)
• A reel of decorative string/ribbon/rope
• A lighter (again be careful)
• Empty jars
• Tealight candles

Using whatever shape or size jars you wish, wash them out and remove all labels. Now take your rope (or whatever you choose to use) and loosely measure around the top of the jar enough to wrap around and tie a bow. Cut the rope to the correct length and (carefully!) use the lighter to burn the edges of the rope to avoid fraying. Then simply tie a pretty bow around the top of the jar, drop in a lit tea light and voila!

very simple but very effective - 

a cheap & easy Christmas present too!

Who's feeling the Christmas spirit yet? I know I am!

Bad Orchid

The world has gone matte crazy, buffing away that shine is definitely the big thing of AW'13 (not to mention the leather mania we are currently experiencing).

When it comes to this polish, I have been spying it up for months, holding back because do I really need another burgundy/purple polish?

Topshop Nails in 'Bad Orchid'  £6

...Most probably not but when I noticed Topshop were now leaning towards the pastel mattes, leaving only one (lonely!) bottle of this colour on the shelves, I just knew I needed to take it home - if not for my sake, for the lonesome bad orchid's!

Of course it's the perfect Autumn/Christmas colour, you can't go wrong with purple in autumn - as you can tell from this post. Two coats are needed for a good solid opaque nail, but Topshop have come up trumps again with their polish quality. I can see myself adding some gold glitter for a be-dazzling effect... but that's for another day.

The Body Shop Tea Tree

The Body Shop is one of those places that once you've step foot inside you ain't leaving empty handed, and of course little old me fell right into the trap. Having suffered from break outs for months and nothing helping, I popped into The Body Shop (or should I say I intended to pop in!) and was guided straight to their Tea Tree range.

This range is developed for blemish prone skin, the natural tea tree is ideal for balancing the skin plus it's antibacterial nature sure does clear up spots. Now, in my opinion these products have the potential to work wonders. They leave your skin feeling super super clean and fresh but, and this is a bigger than average but, this range is definitely aimed at oily skin types - the tea tree dries up blemishes and reduces them in size. If, like me, your skin is slightly on the dryer side these products aren't ideal - especially in winter! Much to my disappointment they completely dried out my skin, leaving it feeling drained of moisture.

As a result, have completely set aside the foaming cleanser and facial toner from my skin care routine. As for the night lotion, I still use this but then apply a thicker, more moisturising night cream afterwards. I find the pore minimiser primer works okay, I use it every now and again when my skin is feeling extra uneven and porous. Now, the squeaky clean scrub I love - just the right amount of exfoliation, even when skin is feeling blemished and sore. I use it about 3 times a week and apply a moisturising mask afterwards to avoid over-drying the skin.

I don't regret buy these products - I'll certainly reach straight for them if my skin becomes oily in the future. For now, I will continue the pursuit of a magical product to rid my dry skin of spots forever!

Naked Autumn

Recently I have been really drawn to these Urban Decay Naked Polishes (so hey, why not blog it). I was bought these as a gift for my 21st birthday alongside the Naked Basics Palette back in Feburary, and dare I say they were a little neglected over the summer months.

They are very much an Autumnal range and I can't get enough of them this 'fall'. This post will not feature the complete collection as I donated two colours to my mother in an attempt to widen her nail polish collection past baby pink...

Urban Decay Naked Nails - £21

(from left to right)

Naked - Classic nude shade. Smog - Metalic rust.

Hustle - Metalic purple. Creep - Black shade with sliver glitter, slightly textured.

The formula is great, the above swatch is after two coats. But I would even suggest three for nail perfectionists out there. The range of colours is fab too, I could even share them with my mum (solid evidence)! For me, the main thumbs up go to their size - the miniature bottles are great to chuck in the bottom of your bag and lacquer up on the go!

Gee thanks again Urban Decay!

What Brush Goes Where?

Now the function of a make up tool is simply a matter of opinion (in my opinion har-har), and most products out there are multi-purpose regardless of their name!
Here's a sneak peak into my current make up toolkit, a low down on my brushes' business...

Real Technique Expert Face Brush - This brush, with its tightly packed bristles and slightly domed top, is my perfect gizmo for applying liquid foundation. It blends seamlessly, with minimal effort - there's no need to spend hours working your foundation into your skin with this baby.

Topshop Kabuki Brush - Okay, so this is quite a large brush, but I love how easily I can give my paley pale face a wash of colour using a natural looking bronzer. A quick swoop in the hollows of my checks and around my temples and you would think I'd traveled the world! 

Sigma Duo Fibre Powder/Blush F15 - I rarely use powder, but when I do I use this brush. I powder mainly my T-zone and chin, this brush distributes and sets the powder so lightly you can hardly tell its there.

Real Techniques Contour Brush - This little friend helps me tackle the nightmare that is my dreary morning eyes (anyone else?). With a creamy concealer, this brush can work wonders on dark circles, perfectly fitting around my eye socket for max coverage.

Topshop Angled Brush - I'm not a big lover of liquid/gel eyeliner (mainly because I'm impossibly rubbish at applying it) so I usually use black eye shadow just on the upper outer part of my lid, as close to my lash line as humanly possible. This angled brush from good'ol Topshop is perfect for the job and also comes in handy with my eyebrows too...

Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Of course this brush is going to make an appearance, how can a girl live without it!? Well... I seem to have moved on from the 'buffing in my foundation' craze and now only use this brush for applying cream blush - which it does so brilliantly. A light stipple on the cheeks and your good to go.

Real Techniques Blush Brush - Just as it says on the tin, I use this brush to apply blusher on the apples of my cheeks. An all round good'un I'd say, real techniques never disappoint.

So there you have it - my toolkit. I wonder, do you use any of these brushes for a completely different function?

Autumn Go-To's

Autumn is well and truly upon us, and what is more exciting than switching up your make up collection to match? Today I bring to you my autumn go-to's, my 'always on top of my make up pile' staples that I will be using constantly during the colder months.

Autumn is all about deep tones and simple looks, and what I am about to show you is all completely affordable (all under a tenner, score)!

Two lippies I reach for non stop... (left) Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade 'Notting Hill Nude' (720). At £6.49 this nude is simple and wearable both day and night. (right) 17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in the shade 'Deep Secret' at £4.99 is a very fun christmassy colour (anyone else thinking works christmas do?). Both great lip products, brilliantly moisturising and easy to apply, even for the lippy rookie over here.

Next up, the most gorgeous plum blush by Maybelline from their Expect Wear line, in the shade 'Flash Plum' - obviously! And for £5.99, deep cheeks can be worn by eveyone.

This product is a lazy girls dream, from their Scandaleyes collection, this Shadow Paint (£4.99) by Rimmel in the shade 'Rich Russet' is the perfect dark bronze for a simple wash of autumn-y colour. Plus the Liquid texture is great during the harsh winter that dries out our skin boo-hoo.

Give it a go, Warm up with Winter!

Sleek Matte Me

Once upon a time, I almost fell into the devilish trap that goes by the name of Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick swooooooon.

In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't as shortly following, these little gems hit the high street.

Sleep Matte Me Lip Stain in 'Rioja Red' - £4.99

Sleeks lip stains are the perfect dupe, for a smidgen of the hourglass price! At £4.99 I am inclined to class this purchase as a 'steal'. The pigmentation is to die for, and as for the colour - 'Rioja Red' is a classic red needed in everyone's make up collection. 

Matte Me dries super quick and super matte with only one coat needed. The formula is a little drying so I tend to balm it up before a-go-go. It comes in 6 colours, including 'fandango Purple' a gorgeous berry fushia that I may NEED in my life.