Hair Heaven: Lee Stafford Argan Oil

Lee Stafford Argan Oil - £11.99

As I have said in previous posts, I'm not blessed with naturally beautiful flowing locks, my hair is curly, it has gone through years of bleaching and colouring and a shed load of heat abuse! Because of all this I find I need to really work at keeping my hair in good condition, using conditioning masks and the new holy grail - hair oils!

Lee Stafford Argan Oil is one of many hair oils on the market, many of you will have heard of Moroccan Oil but it is very expensive, the Lee Stafford oil is a bargain in comparison. It is a silicone based oil but it also contains a high percentage of natural Argan Oil, so it is both a styling oil and a nourishing one. Many people believe that silicones are bad for your hair, and indeed they are in some cases, particularly conditioners, are they coat the hair root to tip, however in hair oils, a bit of silicone can really help to maintain the hair condition, as it is only on the ends, it is not preventing moisture accessing the hair shaft. If you use a clarifying shampoo once a week it prevents the silicone building up and causing lack lustre locks!

I like to apply a small amount of this to the ends of damp hair before blow drying, it speeds up the drying process and leaves my hair smooth and manageable. This can also be used in small amounts on dry hair to give an extra smoothing effect. The pump gives the perfect size amount for my hair, but bare in mind I do have dry hair, if your hair is in better condition a smaller amount will be needed. This also smells amazing, typical of Lee Stafford products of which I am a big fan!

The Lady Is A Vamp: Revlon Black Cherry

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry - £7.49

I'm on a bit of a drive to find the perfect Autumn make up, I am in love with my Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107 (here) as you all probably know, but a new find for me is Revlon Black Cherry! I saw it mentioned on Lips So Facto and I couldn't resist picking it up.

It is part of the Revlon Super Lustrous range, so it has a soft velvet finish. This is perfect for easy application and means it doesn't cling to dry patches on the lips. I think this would benefit from a dark lip liner, I've seen the Mac Liner in Currant mentioned, if you don't have a steady hand it is probably best but I find it works fine on my lips without one. It is very well pigmented, I like to apply it, blot my lips and re-apply, this gives me the best staying power.

This really is the perfect dark plum tone for this time of year; rock it with a nude eye for day time, or a flick of black liner for a night out! I don't find it washes me out but I would advise a plum or beige-y blush instead of a pink/red toned blush.

Don't forget to enter my Mac Giveaway, you could win yourself a lipstick in the colour of your choice!

BLACK OUT: Dior Show Mascara

DiorShow Black Out Mascara - £23.00 

Bare Lashes

1 coat

2 coats

3 coats

Dior Show Black Out Mascara has quickly become my new favourite mascara! I picked it up in Tenerife over Summer where it was reduced in a pharmacy to about £15, I had tried samples of Dior mascaras in the past which I liked so it sounded like a good offer. Unfortunately it's a bit pricier in the UK, about £23 but I do think if you're prepared to fork out for a high end mascara, this one is worth it!

First of all, I love the Black Out packaging, I'm not a fan of funny shaped mascara tubes, it's easy to open and hold. The brush is a synthetic bristle brush which recently I have been moving away from (think Max Factor Masterpiece Max) but I really like it, it evenly distributes products and helps to avoid clumpy lashes, obviously after 3 coats it's going to get clumpy no matter what you use! The colour is a good deep black and I love how the formula stays malleable, no rock hard lashes with this mascara! This is a great mascara for stand out lashes, it gives drama, length and volume; I LOVE it!!

Hair History: Big Change Time!

A long long time ago, I had ginger hair; curly and crazy bright orange hair! Cue photo of a manic looking 3 year old me on Christmas day...

I had a mixed time with ginger hair. Little old ladies loved it, my family all loved it, but it is safe to say my fellow primary schoolers were not so keen on it. I had many a ginger joke thrust in my direction over the years, most of the time not bothering me in the slightest but it is true that over time these things can niggle away at you. So when I turned 14 and my mum said I could get highlights (after years of me nagging her!) I was so excited! Along we went to the hairdressers and my life as a blonde began!

Since then I have been varying shades of blonde, from peroxide to warm honey blonde, with a few forays in to the land of brunette (never lasted long, 6 weeks at most!)... Cue embarrassing photos from my teenage years!

Only joking, they are going nowhere near the internet!!

Anyway, until yesterday my hair looked like this.

Being blonde also has its advantages and disadvantages! Roots, split ends, brassy tones, over processed hair, the list could go on and on. The products needed to nourish and maintain it are also expensive, particularly if you style your hair a lot, which I certainly do!

So a few weeks ago I made the decision to go back to my natural colour, I started looking for pictures of ginger hair that I liked. Gemma Arterton and Karen Gillan were the two that stuck out the most!

Dyed                                                                                                                      Natural

After weeks of research into various colours, salon or home choices, prices etc. I decided to take the plunge and do a home dye, I figured it was too expensive to try and decide I didn't like it, so I worked out what level and warmth to go for and took a trip to boots. I came home with 2 boxes of L'oreal Excellence Creme in shade 6.46. On offer 2 for £10 in boots (bargain!)

The colour is deliberately not as vibrant as the ginger inspiration photos of Karen and Gemma because I knew putting that colour on top of blonde highlights ran the risk of highlighter orange hair! So I've ended up with a more auburn tone, I will work my way back to the more copper toned ginger over the next few months!

I would really recommend the L'oreal Excellence Creme, it is super easy to apply and provides a deep glossy colour. My hair does not feel too damaged from the process however I did do a deep conditioning treatment the night before. The conditioner with the dye is lovely but is in one of those annoying small plastic containers, the only downside I would say!

What do you think? Let me know about your home dye experiences and if you have any brands you recommend!

Review: Clarins Cleansing Milk and Toning Lotion

Clarins is one of the leading skin care brands but I think it is often forgotten amongst the buzz for the likes of Liz Earle, Ren (of which I am a massive fan!) or other HG products. A few years ago I enjoyed used the cleansing milk and toner for normal to oily skin, however my skin changed and I moved on to other products. On a recent holiday, I was in a pharmacy that had amazing deals on lots of beauty products, including salon sized Clarins products. I was running out of my Cleanse and Polish and decided I would give the normal to dry range a go, the offer was incredible, 400ml for 19 Euros, unfortunately it is a little pricier in the UK, 200ml for £17.50 (double the price) but still cheaper than a lot of high end skin care.

The Cleansing Milk  with alpine herbs is a beautiful lotion which is best applied directly to dry skin. I usually massage it into the skin and then follow the Clarins suction technique, which involves placing the hands flat on the face and pulling away quickly to create a suction effect, this is meant to pull the grime and toxins out of your skin, I then use a warm muslin cloth to buff the lotion off my face. I find it is very effective at giving a glowing, soft finish to my skin and is perfect for my normal to dry skin. The original is also very good but more for combination skin.

The Toning Lotion with camomile is also for normal to dry skin. The pump action of this bottle is not ideal as I end up wasting a lot on a cotton pad, so I have decanted this into a small spray bottle and I spritz my face after I have removed the cleanser. I am not entirely sure if I believe toner works, but this has a beautiful, natural smell and I am sure it has a small moisturising effect so I am happy to keep using it!

All in all, I would highly recommend these products to anyone who wants some luxury skin care, perfectly suited to normal/dry skin. They keep my skin clear and glowing and I can tell they will last for ages, even with my morning cleanse and double evening cleanse routine!

Have you tried these products? Or have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!