Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : Natural

Hair care Splurge

The Au Natural Look - Still looking a bit poorly hence the blemishes, but on the mend!

The area where I live has been heavily hit by snowfall - the traffic is barely moving, people are looking far from glamorous with snow boots and hoodies and I'm feeling very uninspired in the hair department. Recently I've been tying my hair into a ponytail, grabbing my nearest jumper, which at the moment seems to be my pole dancing hoodie and running the bus stop as quick as I can to avoid the flourishes. This morning I woke up in utter despair as my locks looked dry, my roots were halfway down my head and the realisation that I had let myself go started to kick in. Yes, I've unfortunately been ill lately and the weather has not been the best, but I must try to make an effort, after all it's this face that my partner wakes up to every morning, I should be rolling around in silk pyjamas with my hair perfectly coiffed.

All these sudden thoughts made me jump out of bed, embrace the snow and run to the nearest Boots. After my mini spree, I returned with a handful of goodies which I'm very eager to try.

The first product is the Got2B - 2 Sexy mousse. I love the bright pink container as it blends with my bedroom and looks very girly. I've been a fan of Got2B products since I tried their hairspray last year and I'm seriously hooked on it.

The next product I purchased was the Wild Ombres kit from L'oreal Paris. I'm finding my hair really bland at the moment and would really like to spice things up a little. I'm hoping that this kit will be easy to use and give my locks a new lease of life. Look out for the review in the next week or so.

Finally, the last item I bought was the Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist from the Lee Stafford range. I used this earlier when I got out of the bath and straightened my hair. The product smells quite refreshing and my hair is now glimmering with shine. Although I've only used it once, I have really noticed the difference between using a heat protector and not using it before. It's been a long time since my TIGI Catwalk heat protector ran out and I probably shouldn't have left it this long to replace it.

Three other products I'm seriously in love with at the moment are all from the Timotei range. I was lucky enough to be sent two samples a few weeks ago and I've been religiously using them since they came in the post. The dry shampoo is really refreshing and perfect for those days when you're in a hurry and need your hair to be looking it's best. I like the simple packaging and that the product isn't too over fragrant. Both of these factors has made my partner take a liking to this product and he happily uses it when he's at my hair and hasn't had a chance to wash his hair before work. The dry shampoo can be purchased for under £2 and I think it's a reasonable price. Unfortunately nothing will make me stray from my Bastiste obsession, but this dry shampoo is definitely close second and a firm winner for my fiance James.

The second product I was sent to review is the 2in1 Timotei Pure Shampoo. I'm happy to report that product really exceeded my expectations. It has managed to revamp my hair and it really does wonders on my sensitive scalp. Having a sensitive scalp runs in my family and my mum has been borrowing this product every other day to use. The shampoo is quick and easy to use and gives an overall glossy look to the hair. I barely have any pitfalls about this product, but one would probably be that I need to purchase a Timotei shampoo that is more catered to my dry hair. The glossy look is perfect, but my ends dry out really quickly. This is perfect for anyone with normal hair and I would recommend it to anyone. The other product in this picture is an older Timotei product that I have been using for quite awhile now. This conditioner really helps revive my hair when it's having a dull moment and it's another conditioner that I would happily rate in my top 10.

I like that all these products have made me embrace my natural side and that my hair is looking in a healthier condition. I can't wait to properly try all the products that I bought today and I hope my dip dying session doesn't end up in a hair disaster.

Have you made any hair care changes recently?

Since colouring my hair blonde, my beautiful locks have never quite recovered. My hair is often dry, lifeless and the only way of a revamp is to wear extensions and hope for the best. Being a hairdresser in the past, I've always been very picky when choosing shampoos and conditioners. I've been told by my old lecturers, that the trick to determine whether a shampoo is that good is whether it foams up straight away or not. If the shampoo foams up in the first wash, it's diluted and probably wont keep your hair clean as long. Many hairdressers recommend two washes for a reason - the first is to get rid of the dirt and the second is to cleanse the hair before conditioning. I really don't know whether this is an old 'hairdressers' tale, but I take it very seriously and I normally find that my hair is in great condition for it.

Being fussy about my hair means I care a lot about what goes on it and if at all possible, I like shampoos or conditioners that use natural ingredients. Herbalife Strengthening shampoo and conditioner is a paraben and sulphate free range, that contains aloe vera to add a fresh scent and keep your hair well mositurised. With a combination of lemon blossom, white lilies and musk, this little duo is perfect for those who love beautifully scented hair. The olive oil extracts and shea butter help to replenish dull hair and add the all important moisture our cuticles are in need of. The winter weather can be quite harsh on hair, so it's important to give it a treat now and then, so you and your hair look your best.

I have used these products twice since I got them and so far I'm really impressed with the results. I love changing my hair care routine every couple of months so that my hair doesn't become dull. The Herbalife shampoo and conditioner seem like the perfect next step to combat my dry, split ends and I'm already seeing an improvement. Herbalife's strengthening duo costs £9.22 for each item, but a little goes a very long way. When I go to the hairdressers, they always say that my hair is in excellent condition for someone that has changed her hair colour as almost the amount of birthdays she has gone through. I will only use the very best for my hair and if it involves spending a little bit more to get that shine, I'm happy to do so.

The Herbalife shampoo and conditioning set are so gentle that I've used them to wash my hair extensions and the above pictures show the results. I've had many compliments since using the products - many people have approached me asking if I've changed anything about my hair. The simple fact is that I've switched my hair care routine. I think my hair was trying to tell me that I needed a change and that change has made a big improvement.

For more information and the products check out: http://products.herbalife.co.uk/

What do you think of the range?

As many of you will have already realised, I'm slightly obsessed with red lips and my red-lipstick-buying habit is showing no signs of disappearing. My latest little arrival was Lush's new lip paint, Ambition. Firstly, I have to say that the name of this product pretty much sums me up. I'm always ambitious - if not a little bit too ambitious. I have my head in the sky most of the day and will stop at nothing to secure a job in fashion PR. "You may say I'm dreamer, but I'm not the only one"...I couldn't help, but add the latter end of that sentence when I wrote it. If you haven't heard John Lennon Imagine, I suggest you Google it, although I'm pretty sure 99% of the population has done. A lot of my friends call me a dreamer, but to me, it's ambition. I know what I want and I'm always trying to figure out my way to get there. I want to prove that my dreams are a reality.

Red lipstick always ignites that confidence within me and when I'm doing a presentation or need a confidence boost, red lip paint is my best friend and that's the simple reason why I can't get enough of it. If you haven't tried Lush's new set of liquid lipsticks, you have definitely been missing out. They are easy to apply, totally vegan and a little goes a very long way. Ambition is such a powerful colour and highly pigmented, the picture does not do it justice.

The best aspect of the Lush Ambition is the fact that one little pot can give you a variety of colours. Simply apply more if you're wanting an instantly bright colour or apply very little if you're wanting something a little more subtle. If you want a softened colour, you can apply the Kiss Lip Gloss. The kiss lipgloss is probably one of my favourite new products - it never leaves my handbag. The product tastes like sweeties and adds a beautiful pink glow to your pout. It's perfect for those days where you're wanting to avoid heavy lip coverage and you're looking for something quite natural. The product also includes fair trade Shea Butter to keep your lips moisturised.

My only wish is that I had a Lush store closer to home, as it takes over an hour for me to get to the nearest one. Although, it could easily be a blessing in disguise, as I would probably spend half of my uni breaks shopping in there and dreaming of all things sweet scented.

For all of you unlucky ones like myself, there's always the Lush online store, which never closes and sells all the products you could wish for. Why not pop a little bit of Ambition into your shopping cart? I know I will be doing when it runs out.

https://www.lush.co.uk

Have you tried Lush Ambition?

When I walk into my local Boots, I always see a selection of Front Cover makeup palettes and think to myself 'maybe I should buy one of those sometime'. For the last few months, I seem to have forgotten all about it, until I made contact with a lovely woman that offered to give me the 'True Colours' set to review. Obviously, having longed for a palette in the past, I couldn't turn the offer down and I'm so glad I have been able to trial the products.

For those who are not acquainted with Front Cover cosmetics, the brand is based in the UK and offers a vast selection of catwalk trending makeup in stylish photographic boxes. The packaging resembles a magazine and when you open the cover, you are greeted with an array of pigmented colours to play around with and a style guide to help you achieve those perfect party looks. I definitely give top marks for the packaging as you could get a whole selection of boxes and they would look so pretty on a shelf next to each other.

The True Colours set includes: Six Baked Power Eyeshadows, Five Satin Pressed Powder Eyeshadows, Five lip glosses Two nail polish glazes, a double ended mascara, retractable lip brush, eye mini blender brush, eye shadow brush and creamy metallic eye pencil. All this for a bargain price of £25. The set also includes a booklet of makeup tutorials in several different languages, making these products versatile and friendly across all continents. My favourite colours in the kit has to be the Parma Grey and Sterling, which combined give an amazing smokey eye effect. Another product that really grabbed my attention was the mascara. Admittedly, I didn't really expect much from a mascara included in a kit. I always use higher end products, but this worked better than one of my Chanel eye mascaras.

At first I had lower expectations for these products, but after wearing them for the last few days, this is fast becoming one of my favourite everyday makeup palettes. The True Colours set literally has everything you need to make your face winter fresh and natural looking this Christmas. I don't want to be the next Barbie and I definitely don't long to look plastic. All I want for Christmas is natural beauty and this set is everything I look for when choosing my cosmetics.

Have you tried the True Colours Palette?

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Hair care Splurge

Herbalife Hair Care

Ambition

Front Cover: True Colours