Interview Make up!

Tomorrow I have an interview for Estee Lauder!! I really can't wait but I am sooooo nervous! I have been playing about with some looks this morning and I was thinking of this one:



Although something is telling me it's not enough. Should I add some colour? Use a stronger upper lash line? smoke it out more?

What would you guys use for a make up artist interview? How can I set myself apart without looking like a drag queen?!

No Powder Day 10 and 11

Phew, nearly over! Its great actually trying so many different foundations and seeing which ones I would like to buy for their staying power and just for how good they look from day to night!

Day 1, 2 and 3
Day 4, 5 and 6
Day 7, 8 and 9

I am really liking this challenge... but I am not sure I will keep up the whole no powder thing... If anything I will search for a very light or hydrating powder if there is such a thing!?

DAY 10
Estee Lauder Equalizer foundation


Start of Day: 9am

This applies well and doesnt streak too much. I applied this with my MAC 109 brush and then used my MAC 187 and stippled it all over my face. This is described on the website as a sheer to medium coverage foundation, but I found this more medium... but I did build it up with 2 layers. It has evened out my skin tone nicely and I have had no need to any concealer on my face. I did however need under eye concealer and brightener. It has dried to a more satin finish... it is a little bit dry on my t-zone now that it has dried.

End of Day: 

As I said earlier, this got quite dry and that fact didn't change through the day! This might be better for oilier combination skin types than mine. It did however last all day and still looked great even though I was touching my face all day being with Amber and playing around with her.

DAY 11
Korres Watermelon Tinted Moisturiser


Start of Day: 9am

The best tinted moisturiser ever... it has amazing coverage and goes on so smoothly. It dries pretty quickly though so you have to blend pretty quick. It dries to quite a luminous finish, and it stuck to my hair a bit. I did put my hair up after I took this picture though!

End of Day: 9pm

Hmm this isn't the best on its own, It would really need a setting powder with it as it does feel quite greasy through the day as you can see in the above picture. My skin tone is still even though which is a plus! I just love how great coverage it is!

THE END

Will I stop using setting powders?

No, I dont think so, I think I still need a little something more on my face to even everything out and give me a much better coverage.

This was great though for testing out how foundations act on their own, without powders over the top. As you may have noticed through the course of this experiment that some foundations acted and stayed a lot longer than most. Take Origins Youthtopia, Nars Sheer Glow and Estee Lauder Double Wear, these are all ones that have stood out to me and just think what they are like with powders!

Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil

Essential oils are a great investment for everyone. You can use them on their own or team them up with a moisturiser and you know they are doing amazing things for your skin, naturally.

I bought the Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil a few months ago and I absolutely love it!! 

Rosehip oil is used for a variety of skin conditions, including dermatitis, acne and eczema, for mature and sun burnt skin as well as brittle nails and wrinkles. Rose hip oil is also frequently used to heal scarring and diminish photo-aging. 

                              Source: Wikipedia

This list of good qualities sold me straight away, I bought it and have used it every night since. I have been trying desperately to rid myself of the acne scarring here and there that is left and basically get a better and more even skin tone. The fact that this renews my face is a bonus too, its for mature and oily skin alike and its a great all rounder!

The only problem that I have is that now it is Autumn/Winter my skin is feeling a lot drier so I need to mix this rosehip oil with my moisturiser to give me some extra hydration. It is a yellow oil that feels so silky when you apply it, it sinks in really well too!

I have noticed a big difference in the tone of my skin, it looks clean, fresh and soft every morning and my scars are diminishing rapidly. Even the new ones!! 

Essential oils are a must have in any beauty addicts skin care routine, they can do so much and it really is a treat for your skin whether you use it once a week or every day!

My Jojoba Oil Post

My Olive Oil Post

Do any of you use essential oils in your routine? Are there any that you find amazing?!

No Powder Day 7, 8 and 9

Sorry, I havn't had any internet the last few days so these two posts are coming in quick succession!

Day 1, 2 and 3
Day 4, 5 and 6

Remember to look back as I am using different foundations every day!

DAY 7
Becca Stick Foundation
Start of Day: 8am

A very nice foundation, the only downside it takes a lot of buffing and blending to get a good even coverage. It actually took a little longer to apply this than a liquid foundation! It was a little bit sticky when I first applied it, but it dried nicely and it went to a satin finish. It felt really hydrating!

End of Day: 10pm 

This was just OK, nothing too amazing, it did wear off a bit and I looked a little bit naked... all of my freckles were showing through and my nose was nice and red... great. This is one I would use a powder with!

DAY 8

Estee Lauder Double Wear

Start of Day 9am

A very nice foundation! It went on so smoothly, the shade was a little light for me, but a little bronzer fixed that! It has great coverage, I used 2 layers and used my #37 Yachiyo Brush from Nars to apply it. My skin looked so flawless and surprisingly I didn't have to use any under eye concealer! Just a little under eye brightener. 

End of Day: 9pm

This picture was taken before I added another layer before having a Halloween pre-party at our house! It still looks exactly the same!! I went shopping, played with Amber and went for a walk and it still didn't budge. It doesn't photograph very well though...  I got flash ghost face all night! I could have sworn my face matched the rest of me... Same for my best friend!!

See what I mean?

DAY 9

Estee Lauder Futurist

Start of Day: 9am

A really flawless looking foundation it has a lovely glowy look to it, not too much that I looked greasy, but enough that I looked well rested. I used the MAC 109 brush to apply this and used three layers to build up the coverage, which it did very well I might add. I did find that I still needed under eye concealer so It isnt as full coverage as the double wear was.  It isnt sticky, doesn't streak and looks gorgeous teamed with a matte blush.

End of Day: 8.30 pm

It still looks lovely! It may have worn off a bit around my nose, but I think I am coming down with the case of the sniffles. I was out for a long walk with Amber earlier and got a little warm as the sun was shining so much and I was wearing a black coat and it still hasn't budged. This is a firm favourite of mine!

No Powder Day 4, 5 and 6!

You can read my original post here

DAY 1, 2 and 3

More reviews on foundations to see if they live up to my expectations! I hope your all enjoying this as much as I am!

DAY 4
Clinique Superbalanced Foundation

Start of Day: 9am

I love this foundation, It has to be one of my all time favourites. It goes on so smoothly, doesn't streak and it stays put all day...with a powder. I hope this does really well today! I am not working today so its just doing stuff around the house like cooking, cleaning and going for a walk with Amber! I needed minimal concealer today for a few blemishes that I have and I didn't need any at all for my rudolph nose :) it sticks a tiny bit to my hair, but it will dry more through the day I hope. It also isn't a great colour match right now, but oh well!

End of Day: 9pm

This has lasted pretty well today, My skin still looks even, not patchy and looks healthy. I like this foundation a lot and was hoping it would do this well! I went for a walk outside, cleaned and looked after Amber all day so its been through a lot more than if I was at work. A flew blemishes have peeked through, but that's fine! 

DAY 5

Clinique Perfectly Real Foundation

Start of Day: 

This applies very well, no streaks and looks just like skin. It feels a little sticky against my hair, so this one seems to need a setting powder if your in a rush. The consistency isnt very liquidy at all.... more of a cream as it is quite thick. Contrary to the Clinique website... I can feel it on my face, its not too heavy but just enough so I know its there. It is a full coverage foundation... so that might explain the thickness!

Ugh... I forgot blush today... 

End of Day: 11pm

This has done very well! Even though I am a bit flushed from having a few drinks tonight, it still looks well and even. A very nice foundation, but I can still feel it on my skin... no ideal but It would be lovely for nights out!

DAY 6
NARS Sheer Glow


Start of Day: 8am

One of my very favourite foundations! This applies very well with fingers and then I use a stippling brush to even everything out so there are no streaks. It is quite a sheer foundation, but today I have used three layers of this to give me some better coverage. It dries to a satin finish, not too glowy and doesnt stick to my hair.

End of Day:

One of my favourite foundations and It has done me proud. It has worn well through the day, not patchy and it is very easy to build. Definitely something for everyone here!

Playing with my Wand!

Teehee! *Ahem* anyway... I decided to give my Conical Wand a whirl today... I have used it a few times but because I have the larger barrel and mid-length hair, it didnt work out too well!

I decided to give it another go and put a bit of a twist on it... eh voila!

I basically pulled most of my hair to one side and secured it with a few bobbi pins. I think this works best for me with the length of my hair now... but it will be even nicer when my hair is a lot longer!

What way is easiest for you to curl your hair?

No Powder Challenge DAY 1, 2 and 3!

You can read all about this challenge here. Long story short - I have not been using setting powders, and using different foundations every day to see how they look and feel during the day. Basically a daily look at all of the foundations/foundation samples that I have and reviewing them all in a small way.

Its also good to note that a lot of older women that I have noticed sporting no powder over their foundation looked a lot younger and radiant. Their wrinkles, because they are more hydrated looking and not covered in powder look a lot softer and less defined. I wouldn't mind having this when I start sporting my "laughter lines" Its also a good thing as your make up wont look as cakey. Try using a blotting sheet instead of powder maybe?

DAY 1
Origins Youthtopia Foundation
Start of day: 9am

I applied this with my fingers and then evened it all out with my Nars Yachiyo #37 Brush. When I was applying this with my fingers it seemed to roll off slightly which I wasn't too impressed with. This seems to be a foundation that needs a brush application. I need to note though that this is a super silky feeling foundation as you are applying it with your fingers, a real dream to feel! I applied 2 thin layers of foundation with my fingers then used the brush.

It dried quickly, didn't stick to my hair and feels quite comfortable on. It is quite a "glow from within" kind of foundation, so if you don't like that look, this isn't for you. I personally really like it! 

End of day: 10pm

Wow... scary eyes!

I like this challenge! I was working until 9pm tonight... it was such a drag! The good thing was that my foundation looks like skin, you can still see the last dwindling freckles there and nothing has settled into the lines around my nose and mouth. Normally I see foundation and powder lifting from my chin near the end of the day and it still looked the same. Even, flawless and glowing. A great foundation to start off this challenge with. It has maybe came off a bit on my nose, but that is only because I habit of rubbing it a bit! Come 11pm it started to dry a bit, but its bedtime so its ok!

DAY 2: 
Clarins Extra Firming Foundation

Start of Day: 8am

This applies very well, I only used a brush for this one and ended up with great medium coverage, It doesn't look like real skin today though. It is quite a glowy foundation, perhaps a little too glowy for me and I can feel it slightly greasy against my hair. But we are just going shopping today. We will see how this works out!


End of Day:

Wow.... this really hasn't worn well through the day. I was shopping today with my mum and just made dinner... this looks patchy and generally not great... I look like I have no foundation on!! I also have a few lil spots showing here and there. Youthtopia definitely looked better than this! It seems to have gotten darker as the day went on too... It looked beautiful this morning, albeit a little too glowy... now I just look greasy :( This needs a powder/touch up for definite during the day... I cant be having that!

DAY 3:
Clarins Everlasting Foundation


Start of Day: 11am

This is a more full coverage foundation, meant to last for 15 hours and dries to a matt finish. On me it hasn't gone too matt, but I don't mind. It applies very evenly and doesn't dry too quickly. I put on two layers of this on and it has gone to medium/full coverage. There is no greasy feel on my hair and it feels comfortable on. So far so good... I needed minimal concealer on a few spots that I have.


End of Day: 9pm

I wore my glasses today as I was getting a bit of a sore head this morning, hence the red dot at my nose. This has worn well today, a little bit of oxidation was going on during the day, it got darker in other words. I found that it did cake up around my nose and mouth... but it is a full coverage foundation so it is thicker. It didn't last on my nose very well and I had to use some Double Wear concealer for that area as my Rudolph nose was poking through. I dont have an oily nose, I have a bony nose that gets red and shiny quickly... I cant describe it, but the pictures show it. This is just an OK-ish kind of foundation, maybe not one I would buy in a hurry, but it is certainly nice and light weight.

What do you think of these foundations? Did they all work for you?


Stay tuned for days 4 - 8 in... 4 days!

No Powder Challenge!

Now that it is getting bitterly cold outside, my skin is getting so dry and being in a shop that still has air conditioning on (not impressed) my skin was ridiculously dried out! I had to take off all my make up off yesterday and only put foundation on! This came about by talking to the girl at Clarins that never wears a setting powder and also seeing many customers with no powder on.

I thought that this might be a bit of a chance to have a challenge and use different foundations every day of the week with no powder on top. Basically to see how they are on their own, coverage and looks wise and whether I will ever use a setting powder again.

I have to add though that my skin is not overly oily, I never really have to touch up my t-zone... because frankly no oil breaks through, but I do always use a setting powder and I am beginning to think my skin doesnt actually need it!

Do you all use setting powders or just have foundation on?

Trilogy Cream Cleanser Review

Everyone wants a perfect cleanser for their skin, one that works and that keeps on working. With Liz Earle, just as I was about to go onto my third bottle of Cleanse and Polish, it stopped working and I just sold my back up and bought this cleanser:

I hadn't read many reviews on this, but I know a few other bloggers are giving this a go! 

This cleanser comes in a large 200ml glass bottle, it actually looks very nice, sturdy anyway! I accidently dropped this on my tiled bathroom floor and it didn't smash...phew! It comes with a pump as you can see, which I prefer as it dispenses just the right amount of product each time. I am over half the way down this bottle now and I still really love it, which is a very good sign for me!

This is a cream cleanser and smells quite herbal as it contains quite a lot of essential oils, which I really love! 

The bottle states:

The Simple one-step cleanser gently washes away make-up (including eye make-up) and impurities without drying ot disrupting natural PH  levels leaving skin smoother, softer and beautifully refreshed.

• Thoroughly cleanses without drying.
• Evening Primrose and Certified Organic Rosehip Oils help moisturise and maintain healthy skin.
• Almond, Jojoba and Carrot oils soothe and nourish.

I absolutely LOVE this cleanser, best I have ever bought. I believe a cleanser should really deep clean and get rid of all dirt and impurities and this really does the job well! I use one pump and massage into my skin, then rinse off. I then take another pump, massage in and remove with a muslin cloth. When I am using the muslin cloth there is barely anything left to take off, the cloth has minimal make up on it after the second cleansing. I have to note though that I don't use this to remove my eye make-up, I prefer an eye make up remover to do that job. I also only use this in the evening to remove all of my make up, in the morning I use the Seba Med cleansing bar in the shower.

My skin is amazingly clean and soft after using this. My skin is even, clear and even if I have a few 'monthly mishaps' my skin still looks spotless, any spots that I do have look calm and not angry at all. My skin hasnt felt tight in well over a month, it feels comfortable and hasnt looked dull, congested or flaky.

Overall, such an amazing cleanser and the best bit is... its for all skin types!

Trilogy Cream Cleanser retails for £22 for 200ml .... only 50p more expensive than Liz Earle... and better ;)

Have any of you ever tried this? Do you prefer cream cleansers like I do now?

Current Favourites and Regrets

This month has been a bit boring for me, I havnt been buying any cosmetics since my birthday... but I see the newest trend is 'shopping your own stash' so I am happy enough with that! It saves me money too... were saving up to buy a dog!

I have a few favourites which have been treating me very well the past while and some I would definitely repurchase.

Liz Earle Moisturiser for Normal/Combination skin

I have yet to find a moisturiser that I like better than this one. I still consider myself a bit of a 'noob' when it comes to skincare, but this one has really taken care of my skin. Now that it is Winter I have to use more of this, but that's no problem to me as it glides on effortlessly. It can feel a little oily so putting make up on over this is a must for me. I never really do 'no make up days' (you never know who's going to call at the door). I may not buy this again right away as I have my Origins moisturiser to use... I just hope its good!

Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream

You can read my review on this here. Very heavy, thick and extremely moisturising... just perfect for me!

Trilogy Cream Cleanser
I wont go into too much detail here, because this really deserves a full review. But my skin has never looked so clean and even!

Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe
Still my favourite foundation, best applied with fingers and layered lightly, this gives me such glowy skin. I look so much healthier when I wear this!

Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil
An amazing oil, I have been using this for well over a month now and I love mixing it with my moisturiser. A full review to come!

MAC Lipstick - Syrup
This is my "go to" lip colour when I cant decide what to wear. It looks great with and without a tan and it is my favourite Lustre finish.

REGRETS

My two regrets for this month are:

Clinique All about Eyes
Seriously, I have never used such a bad eye cream... it doesn't de-puff me, doesn't get rid of dark circles and it seeps into my eye making it bloodshot and makes my vision cloudy. I talked to the girl at Clinique and she was saying I was just applying it too close to my lash line... but no... I tried not putting it anywhere near there and it still happened!! I have another sample of this and an All About Eyes Rich to use as well... but to be honest I will give them away. They are ridiculous.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip Protector
Rubbish... This never lasts on my lips, every time I use it my lips get more and more chapped and its going down way too quick for my liking. Simply dont like it...

What are your current favourites that you think you cant do without?

Liz Earle Haircare

As you all know, my current obsession is my hair, I am trying to get it in the best condition possible so it will grow as long as possible... Easier said than done sometimes!

The one way I have been doing this is trying to use haircare products with no SLS or Silicones. I have worked out that the SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate) really dries out my scalp and Silicones were weighing my hair down a lot, which gets worse as my hair grows longer. I really need a shampoo and conditioner that keeps my roots lifted and keep too much oil at bay.

The Liz Earle haircare range has one shampoo, designed for all hair types and there are three conditioners. I chose the conditioner for oily hair as my hair is so fine and gets greasy very quickly! There is also conditioners for Normal and dry/damamged hair.

The one thing I really love is that these products have a lot of natural ingredients in them, I honestly think that natural skin and haircare is the way forward, they can do so much and are really multi purpose!

What Liz Earle Says:
Shampoo:

With West African shea butter, natural source vitamin E, shine-boosting apple and orange extracts plus naturally derived cleansers, our shampoo gently cleans without stripping to leave hair soft, shiny and smooth. Contains no sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate.

Wet hair thoroughly, massage into a rich lather from root to tip – a little shampoo goes a long way.

Naturally active ingredients include natural vitamin E, west african shea butter to moisturise plus apple and orange extracts boost shine.

Conditioner:

With black cohosh, yangu oil, blue seakale and shine-boosting apple and orange extracts, our ultra-light, finely balanced colour safe conditioner leaves oily, dull, limp or lifeless hair shiny, volumised and full of life.

Massage into clean, wet hair after using Botanical Shine Shampoo.

Naturally active ingredients include black cohosh extract, Kenyan yangu oil to help smooth the hair shaft, plus apple and orange extracts to boost shine.

What I say:


The ingredients and descriptions look amazing, but for me I really have to try out haircare products for at least a month to see how they work with my hair. I find that after that time shampoos and conditioners simply stop working and start to weigh my hair down, It may be due to the silicone that is in them meaning I am getting a lot of product build up. To be honest I dont know if Liz Earle's hair care products have silicone in them, they state they are SLS free... but not silicone free which I found a bit strange, but searching through the ingredients I dont see anything that shows that there is silicone in it.


The shampoo foams up nicely when applied to my wet hair, though it has to be overly wet sometimes to get a good lather. I always wash my hair twice when I am in the shower and I have a habit of washing my hair every day (I know, its bad for it). I find that with using the shampoo alone, my hair gets very tatty and quite matted so I have to use the conditioner afterwards as my hair is so thin. 

Shampoo and conditioner

I have about 2 washes left in my tube of shampoo, I always use up shampoo long before conditioner! Mainly because I wash my hair twice and I used to condition my hair only twice a week. With the Liz Earle haircare range, I use my conditioner every day  and my hair never feels weighted down or lank. I am still going through my conditioner a lot slower though. I use it on the mid-lengths and ends only and once a week do my scalp as well to make sure it doesn't get dry.


At the beginning of using this, my hair felt so weightless and my roots seemed to lift and I had lovely volume. Now though, it seems to be falling again, but that could be to do with the length my hair is getting and it is just heavier than before. Considering there doesnt seem to be any silicones in this, my hair is always very soft and 

manageable, which is what Silicone pretended to do. 

Its also great to note that I have been using this shampoo on Amber, and it is really doing wonders for her cradle cap. It is nourishing her scalp and making sure that it doesn't dry out and make things worse. Her hair smells gorgeous afterwards and so light... considering she doesn't have much hair!

Amber is very happy with it!! Are you going to be too?! :)

Overall I find this range excellent, I would definitely buy this again, but I find that I don't get any more than one day out of my hair before it gets really greasy the next day. I will be on the lookout for a shampoo and conditioner that gives me more than one day, I don't like having to use dry shampoo so much!

Shampoo Retails at £7.50 for the 200ml Tube and the Conditioner is retailed at £7.50 also! 

They also offer 50ml sizes for £4 so you can try them out beforehand!

Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream

With the Winter months ahead, between air conditioning and heating, my skin starts to suffer. I get dry areas on my arms, legs, chest, face... pretty much everywhere! My hands and arms tend to bare the brunt of it though and for me, dryness anywhere on my body gets really uncomfortable and itchy. For men it doesn't seem to bother them at all... what's with that?

I am so glad that I received this for review purposes, because I definitely think its made a huge difference in my skin. This is aimed towards Mature/Very Dry Skin, obviously I don't have 'mature' skin, but it does lean on the very dry during Autumn/Winter, which is bad news when I am fake tanning!

Liz Earle Say:



This divinely aromatic, ultra-rich body cream is formulated with 25% plant oils – making it our most intensive body moisturiser ever. With East African shea butter, organic rosehip oil, antioxidant cranberry seed oil and pomegranate extract, natural source vitamin E, plus the divine scent of neroli, this luxurious cream helps mature or very dry skin look and feel visibly plump and smooth.


Massage all over your body every day for beautifully soft, youthful-looking skin.


Naturally active ingredients include shea butter, organic rosehip oil, cranberry seed oil, pomegranate extract and neroli oil to visibly plump and smooth.


It is a bit of a bugger to get anything squeezed out of the tube when you are anywhere near halfway down, It is so thick and creamy and the nozzle is so small its near to impossible to get anything out. I will probably have to cut the tube open and dispense the rest into a tub, which is a bit of a bother. I hope they change this into a great whopping big tub to dip into!

When you get the product out, as I said it is very thick and creamy and little goes a long way, but when you try to use little, it doesnt spread out and you do really have to work at it. This type of body lotion is best if you have some time as it can take a while to sink in, which I really dont mind because this stuff is amazing.

Once applied, you have such a gorgeous dewy look to your skin that looks like you have just stepped out of a 'by the beach' photoshoot.... you know the kind... Gorgeous long wavy hair, bronzed skin with an amazing glow to it. During winter, tanning gets to be a bit of a hassle because my skin dries out so quickly and tan comes off quite patchy, not with this though! I put some on before I go to bed (or before a night out... better than shimmer!) and my skin feels and still looks amazing the whole of the next day. Its doing wonders for my elbows and knees, my tan is looking a lot smoother in those areas and I don't have to use any barrier creams. For me I think elbows and hands are a dead give away of age, so I try my best to keep those areas as hydrated as possible all year round!

The smell.... ohhh the smell!! It is heaven in a tube! It reminds me very much of Lush Therapy Massage Bar, I think it might be the Shea Butter? I am not quite sure though... but I could sniff myself all day wearing this! I am rubbish at trying to describe smells, so you will have to forgive me if I didnt write a very descriptive paragraph.

I will definitely be buying this, and I would really recommend it to anyone with dry skin... it doesn't even have to be very dry. It also didnt give me any spots on my body, which I thought might happen as it was so thick. I will probably try and get Tommy to start using this... it could possibly be a losing battle though.

Liz Earle... please bring this out in tub form!!

This retails for £27.50 for the 200ml and £12 for a 50ml Tube, so it might be worth trying out the smaller size first?

What are your favourite body lotions? What are you all using right now?

Extravagant Gold and Hair

Such an amazing palette, I cant get over how gorgeous it is!! It seems to be a bit more of a 'night' palette for me, when your just going all out glamorous. I tried to tone it down today though, and I'm so glad I did! Yesterdays eye make up with the Estee Lauder Make up Artist was a bit too much for me, I am used to nude colours and liners and not going out at night, so It was a huge shock to see so much eyeshadow and liner there!

Face

Origins Youthtopia Foundation - 02 Light

MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer - NW20

Lancome Flash Retouche - 01

MAC MSF Natural - Medium

MAC Blush - Blushbaby

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Estee Lauder Extravagant Gold Palette

MAC Fluidline - Dipdown on the waterline

Korres Vitamin b5 Mascara - Black

Lips

Nothing... eek...

Looking at the list of products, it doesnt look like I wore too much today!I think I have cut down my amount of face products too, less is more I guess.

Hair

After taking Viviscal for just over 2 weeks now, I have actually noticed a difference in my hair! Its aim is to improve the volume of hair and restart the growth of hair that has temporarily stopped. After having Amber a lot of my hair fell out and it was getting very thin, and there was no notice of it growing back again.

I have noticed that I have a bizzilion baby hairs, of course I am only really noticing them at my hair line and parting, but theres no hope of me keeping those bad boys down. If thats what its like at my hair line, imagine what its like all over my head! 

My hair is growing a little faster now after I thought it had just completely stopped, and I have noticed around half an inch or so of growth. I have a picture to show you, but I think real life would be a lot handier for you guys! In real life I have noticed my hair has grown significantly because:

1. It takes longer to put my hair in a ponytail (more hair to pull through)

2. Tons of baby hair.

3. Hair dye isnt really going the distance any more, I feel like theres somehow less in a bottle now...

4. I have to use more treatments in my hair. More hair means it needs extra nourishment.

5. I can feel my hair all wavy around my neck and part of my chest (awesome)

Before:

Now: 2 months later

It might not look like much to you, but to me it feels totally different!! Come on Boob length hair!! :)

Seeing as I have only been using viviscal for 2 weeks and this is the only growth I have had in 2 months, you can tell how slowly my hair grows.

I came to a stark realisation that I have no idea what my natural hair colour is... any of you remember what yours is?!! If you do, my hats off to you.

Birthday Haul!!

Ok so this year I have realised that once you have a kid, your birthday doesnt get very important! Most people were just giving me money here and there and I ended up buying all of my own presents, I think I prefer it that way though!

I made some modest-ish purchases, things I have been lusting over for a while! I also got a LOT of freebies! I love samples of products!!

A'kin Unscented Shampoo and Conditioner.

Typical Mommy style, I had to buy something for Amber! The shampoo is for her poor little head, its covered in cradle cap again and Johnsons baby shampoo is so harsh on it! I have been dousing her head in olive oil every day and I will be using this tonight on her.

The conditioner is for me, I always go through shampoos a lot quicker than Conditioners, so It will probably take me a while to get using this one!

A'kin Unscented 24 Hour Leave in Conditioner.

This is amazing! I have used this twice now and so far I am extremely impressed! It came free with the Shampoo and Conditioner so I was happy enough to get it. Its also has heat protection for the days when I decide to blow dry my hair or straighten it.

A Perfect  World Antioxidant moisturiser with White Tea

This is the one without an SPF as I prefer not to use an SPF during the winter, there's barely any sun anyway! This one seems really nice, I used the sample sizes that I received with my Origins orders and loved it! Smells really good too ;)

A perfect World Moisturising Lotion with White Tea

I am on my second bottle of Liz Earle Skin Tonic and thought it was time for a little change, this had very good ratings on the Origins website, so I will let you know how it goes!

Youthtopia Foundation SPF 15

This is a skin firming foundation and a firm favourite of mine, Sarah kindly sent me a sample of this to try out the colour and I finished the whole sample, which is very unlike me. So I might leave foundation purchases for a while, I also bought this for my Mums 50th this week too!

Spot Remover Anti Blemish Treatment Gel

I am always on the lookout for new blemish treatments and I am really hoping this works!!

MAC Select Moisturecover NW15

I have this in NW20 as well and its only good when I have tan on. But I love this for under my eyes! No cakeyness (is that a word?- No) , and my eyes feel a lot more comfortable than when I have my Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer on! 

Tenderling Blush

I have yet to use this, but it has been on my wishlist for a looooong time!!

Yay for samples!!! I bought my mum the new Clinique Repairwear Laser focus for her birthday and the Clinique girl gave me a Bonus box and another few samples... sweeeeeet! Thank God for working opposite Clinique and Estee Lauder! :p The blush is lovely!

A few samples from Origins too, it came in a great wee box, and I ended up with 2 of each of them because I bought the wrong colour of foundation! I cant wait to try the Modern Friction Scrub, but I have to say I hated the Checks and Balances Face Wash, so I might give that to my Mum! 

A friend of mine at work gave me the Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment to try out as I am still stripping my hair with Colour B4... honestly... 4 TIMES NOW!!! 

I cant for the life of me even out the colour of my hair! I will get there some day I hope!

On another note... I am absolutely shattered these days, I will tell you why... Because we have mice in our bedroom... yep... mice...

They crawl into our bed and scuttle all over me, not Tommy... Just me. I thought I was going insane the first night, because when I felt it it ran away so fast we couldnt see anything at all! Just as well I dont mind mice or I would be moved out for a while!

Were still trying to catch them, it will take a while im guessing!

Nails! Essie Demure Vixen

I bought this nail polish a while ago but hadn't gotten round to wearing it until now! I did the whole "Go pick me a nail polish" to Tommy and he came down with this. Awesome!

Its such a beautiful colour!!

It has beautiful hidden sparkle in it (click the picture to enlarge). I love having longer nails again!! 

Say hey to my new ring!! One of my birthday presents from Tommy, its from Thomas Sabo :) 

I freaking love it!!!! His name is Henry.

P.S My birthday Isnt until the 1st October