Moroccanoil - my hair saviour - review

So back in August 2012 I reviewed my gorgeous, new Moroccanoil Barrel brush. I mentioned back then that Moroccanoil is my hands-down hair wonder product and a few people asked if I could write a review...

Well, for those lucky people, just 13 months later here it is!! Yes, prompt, I know!


For those who haven't tried / heard of Moroccanoil it came onto the UK market a few years ago and was hailed a hair super hero! And for good reason.  This beautiful hair oil not only protects your hair, but it also replenishes and repairs the hair, leaving it supple, shiny and super soft.

I have always used the original formula, despite a new 'light' version for fine and light-coloured hair being released. Though I have both fine and light-coloured hair, I find that the original formula suits my hair perfectly with the small amount that I use.

Moroccanoil original hair treatment - 100ml - £31.85

I simply wash my hair as usual and roughly towel dry until damp. I then dispense a small amount (roughly the size of a 20p piece) using the pump nozzle provided and work this through from around mid length to the ends of my hair. It smells utterly delicious, and is absorbed super quickly. Surprisingly it doesn't weigh hair down, nor does it make it feel greasy and I find it also helps my hair to dry a lot faster as it separates and nourishes it - always a bonus when your normal hair drying time is around half an hour, hello dead arm! Once blow dried I style as usual and voila! Perfectly nourished, healthy-looking hair, which also smells divine!!
The Moroccanoil also helps to protect the hair from heat, so blow drying and styling is less damaging, with hair looking soft and full bodied once styled.

I have also found that my hair suffers a lot less from frizz and flyaways in humid and damp weather when using the Moroccanoil. If my hair is especially dry - for example if I am on holiday somewhere hot - I will also use a small amount on the ends once styled just for that additional moisture and shine.

Moroccanoil is available from good hairdressers - such as the fabulous Afina in Truro - and also from feelunique.com. It retails at around £31.00 for the original, full 100ml size bottle which comes with the pump dispenser.

If you're concerned about Autumn being one long bad hair day, I'd seriously recommend that you give this product a go! x

Naked Bodycare - nudey goodness! ♥

As you are probably now aware from my previous blog posts and general moans about nasty, naughty ingredients in skincare and cosmetic products, I try to ensure that I use products which are organic-based and give good results, naturally.

A few months back whilst undergoing my usual gargantuan weekly nappy run in my local Boots store I went to peruse the baby skincare shelf, just to see whether they had any new offerings for me. I am an avid label-checker, especially when it comes to skincare products for my children. I always, ALWAYS avoid using products with dangerous preservatives and foaming agents (parabens, SLS etc) which generally means that I struggle to buy anything off the shelf in my local drugstore or supermarket since most of the 'bigger' brands seem all too happy to sell bottles of pesticides and harsh detergents for our children's bath routines....nicely bottled in pretty packaging with 'caring' logos, of course ;)
This all changed, however, when I noticed a new line of children's skincare products perched happily on the shelf: mini Naked from Naked Bodycare.

First off I noticed the 97% natural claim on the front of the packaging, then upon studying the ingredients list on the back of I discovered that they were free of all the nasties I banish from my bathroom cabinets. Excited at the prospect of being able to buy natural and 'safe' products from my local Boots store I popped a bottle of go ga-ga gentle bodywash into my basket and heaved it along with my ridiculous tower of nappies to the till (via the women's skincare aisle where I also nabbed a bottle of Ooh La La Naked - Coco de Mer body wash. Well you have to try the adult range too, right?!).

mini Naked go ga-ga bodywash - £2.99

Naked Ooh La La Coco de Mer body wash - £3.99

Unfortunately, one of my scrummy twin daughters, Sophia, suffers with dry skin and eczema - triggered by heat and dry, cold weather. I have to be so careful with any skincare products that I use on her and am always hesitant to change once I have found a product that works. However, I hesitantly gave the go ga-ga a trial run and happily found that she had absolutely no reaction to the Naked bodycare wash. It was gentle and lightly scented, with enough foam to satisfy you that they are getting the day's pasta, snot and mud off, but without stripping their delicate skin. Winner! I now use this on all three of my children, with no complaints from any of them.
I have also been fortunate enough to receive a bottle of the Bananas and Custard 2-in-1 shampoo from the lovely people at Naked to try during our oh-so-fun bathtimes! This is DELICIOUS! It leaves their hair tangle free (not an easy task with the twins, who always resemble a pair of swamp monsters by lunch time, intent on removing any hair ties/clips and smearing most things into their own/each other's hair on a daily basis) and smelling delicious. Again, this product contains no nasties, it is tear-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans too!

Naked Bananas and Custard kids 2 in 1 shampoo - £2.99

On to mummy's products! I absolutely adore the scent of the Naked Coco de Mer bodywash, again it's gentle so doesn't irritate in any way, and leaves you feeling squeaky clean with a hint of yummy frangrance. It smells and feels like a luxury product, containing coconut derivatives and passion flower extract  (yum!) but without a hefty price tag. My new favourite shower product!

Naked also were kind enough to send me a bottle of their Detox 2 in 1 shampoo. I have very fine blonde hair, which takes a lot of maintenance to keep it thick but without lots of sitting product. I find that my hair does suffer from build up fairly easily and this product has been a life saver! I've been using this product on it's own once a week to gently bring my hair back to it's 'naked' condition. It really makes a huge and very noticeable difference, with my hair instantly feeling lighter, squeaky clean and softer. The 'clean' feeling also stays until the next day too, so no need for dry shampoos etc to maintain that freshness. It acts as a shampoo and conditioner, so you don't need any secondary products.
Because my hair is so fine and flyaway I do suffer from static and so will add a heat protection conditioning spray before drying if I blow dry my hair after use. However, when left to dry naturally this isn't necessary.

Naked Detox 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner - £3.99

I can't wait to try more from the Naked range, the heat protection spray and body building hair mousse are next on my 'to buy' list along with the 24 hour Naked Coco de Mer body butter. Yum!

Naked heat protection spray - £4.99

So all in all a big thumbs up from mummy and children, and also daddy too - who appreciates the banana and custard scented children!

Thankyou, Naked Bodycare, for finally bringing natural, safe children's products to our highstreet shelves! x

Benefit Pin Up Lashes

I'm not normally one for fake lashes. Since spending hours in my earlier years trying to fix them equally across my lash lines without looking half-cut before I've even left the house, to ripping them off complete with half my natural lashes still affixed at the end of the night, it's safe to say I'm not the biggest lash fan.
I have dabbled with the Eyelures, the Girls Alouds (we've all bought the Cheryls right?!) and the Laurens Ways all with varying levels of success. I've tried all styles, from wispies to glamourous, to double-layered-drag-appearance. You see all too often the girls who think 'bigger is better' and for some, yes perhaps, for others...not so much :/
It's a minefield of fiddly applicators, ridiculously finicky glass bottles of glue, cutting to size, dropping them down the back of the dresser, trying to figure out how to make them stay on the inner corners (dammit, why don't they stick?!?), just ridiculous.

However...

I think I may have stumbled across the holy grail of false lashes. For those, like me, who fear individual semi permanents leaving lasting damage and stick to the occasional special occasion strip lash, I may well have the answer to end your Saturday night lash-dramas!

Let me introduce you to Benefit's Pin Up lashes.

Benefit Pin Up Lashes. £11.50

These. Are. Incredible!

Benefit do a whole range of lashes, but for me these are the best. They are dark brown, rather than black, so give all the drama of long, fluttery lashes without the drag-queen effect. They are double layered, for a wispy but full appearance, and they really open up your eyes. They are more curved than most other brands so sit more naturally along your lash line. The plastic strip is thinner and more flexible than others so is easier to manipulate into the curve of your eye and stick into those tricky inner corners!!

Below are two pictures, the first of my evening make-up before applying the lashes and the second after I have added the lashes.


Neutral smoky make-up before adding Benefit Pin Up lashes.

Neutral smoky make-up with Benefit Pin Up lashes.

 

In each picture, the smaller top right photo shows just how much difference these lashes make to your eyes, they really widen them and compliment that smoky evening look.

 

Benefit Pin Up lashes are available from Boots, Debenhams and Benefit direct. I normally get mine online from Debenhams as they have free delivery for beauty card holders and frequently run promos (there is 10% off at the minute!!). They cost £11.50 full price, which a little more pricey than other strip lashes, but I have used mine over and over again and they just keep going!
It's worth mentioning that these don't come with glue, but most of us have a vial or two knocking around. I did buy the Benefit Lash Glue (£7.50) with the lashes too and have to say it's worth investing in. You get lots for your money, it comes in a squeezy, resealable tube rather than a ridiculous small glass bottle (with a lid which never comes off easily!) and again there is currently 10% off this little beauty at the moment at Debenhams too!
So there you have it, Saturday night lash dramas are a thing of the past!

xxx

Beautifully bronzed - Xen Tan Moroccantan

As all of my friends will tell you, I am a total tan addict! If there is a tanning product out there, chances are there is a half-used bottle sat in my bathroom cabinet!
I am a huge Xen Tan fan, their products smell delicious - like chocolate rather than fake tan - they are paraben free (very important) and the colour lasts for daaaaays!!! I've been using their Deep Bronze Luxe once a week self tan for months now and I absolutely adore it!

Xen Tan Deep Bronze Luxe

 

As a devoted fan, I recently noticed that Xen Tan were running a Twitter competition recently where you could win a bottle of their fab new Moroccantan, containing Moroccan Oil. I had wanted to try this for the longest time so I entered and was thrilled when I won!!

Xen Tan Morrocantan

The Moroccantan is a fair bit darker than the deep bronze luxe, with a noticeably darker guide colour. It smells delicious, like coconut, so instantly triggers memories of sunkissed skin and sun lotion!

When applying my normal Deep Bronze Luxe I find it is fine to apply using my bare hands and wash them afterwards (with whitening toothpaste for my nails of course!) whereas the deep guide colour of the Moroccantan means that a mitt is a must!
On the morning after application, the depth of the guide colour can look a little scary! But once you shower it off, it leaves you with a gorgeous, smooth, deep brown tan. It's a really natural looking colour, but quite dark, so I'd recommend it for girls who prefer a deeper colour, for summer months or pre-holiday bronzing.

Prices are very reasonable, I normally buy my Xen Tan through feel unique who have speedy delivery and also regularly run promotional money-off offers.

Xen Tan Deep Bronze Luxe weekly tan sells for £21.50 with free delivery.
Xen Tan Moroccantan sells for £19.99 with free delivery.

Follow Xen Tan on Twitter here!

I hope you love them as much as I do! xx



Day after using Xen Tan Deep Luxe.
(Apologies for the odd shot in the Eden Project loos, I forgot to take a pic before taking the kiddies out for the day!!)



Xen Tan Moroccan Tan after application - tan line to show the contrast.

Flip flops and friendship bracelets

Yippee, it's finally here!! Summer has arrived, and with it comes the pretty pedicured toes and floaty, sleeveless outfits.

I've been trying to find the perfect shade of nail varnish to grace my tootsies now that the flip flops are firmly back on my feet for the sunny weather. At the moment, coral is one of my absolute favourite shades. It compliments virtually every skin tone, looks gorgeous against a tan and can be used as a bright colour pop against a neutral or black outfit in equal measure.

I recently bought Rimmel's 60 second nail polish in shade 415 'Instyle Coral'. It's a gorgeous, lacquer-esque polish with a professional finish, plus it's 3-free so all good for everyday wear. This looks fab for summer, it makes your toes look so tasty!

To match the coral nails I also bought Boots number 17 Supreme Shine lipstick in 'Hot Flash'. It's a beautiful pinky-coral colour which flatters a tanned complexion, also perfect for summer!




Lips - Boots '17'  Supreme Shine lipstick in 'Hot Flash'
Nails - Rimmel 60 Second nail polish in '415 Instyle Coral'

Last week I was also lucky enough to win a Twitter competition run by Little Birdie London, a company I came across when I saw a post by fellow southern-girl blogger Liza Prideaux of GlamBeautys.

I won this gorgeous green friendship bracelet, which looks so understated and pretty. As they sell for only £6 each I think I am going to have to buy some more candy colours to stack for the summer, I just love it! At first I thought it was a material bracelet, but it is actually made of metal (alloy) and painted this gorgeous colour. It's fab!

Little Birdie London green friendship bracelet

Check out Little Bird London here and follow them on Twitter here.

They sell some beautiful pieces, favourites of mine being their two skull skinny cuff and their candy bunting necklace...

I hope that you enjoyed your sunny bank holiday Monday! xx